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THE  LIBRARY 

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OF  CALIFORNIA 

SANTA  BARBARA 

COLLEGE 

PRESENTED  BY 

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THE    COMEDY  OF  HUMAN  LIFE 
By  H.  DE  BALZAC 


SCENES    FROM  PARISIAN  LIFE 


RISE    AND    FALL    OF    CESAR    BIROTTEAU 


BALZAC'S     NOVELS. 

Translated  by  Miss  K.  P.  Wormeley. 


Already  Published: 
PERE     GOHIOT. 
DUCHESSE     DE     LANGEAIS. 
RISE     AND     FALL     OF     CESAB     BIBOT- 

TEAU. 
EUGENIE     GBANDET. 
COUSIN     PONS. 
THE     COUNTRY     DOCTOR. 
THE     T"WO     BROTHERS. 
THE    ALKAHEST. 
MODESTE    MIGNON. 
THE  MAGIC  SKIN  (Peau  de  Chagrin). 


ROBERTS    BROTHERS,    Publishers, 
BOSTON. 


HONORE    DE    BALZAC 

TRANSLATED    BV 

KATHARINE    PRESCOTT    WORMELEY 


CESAR    BIROTTEAU 


ROBERTS     BROTHERS 

3     SOMERSET     STREET 

BOSTON 

1888 


Copyright,  1886, 
Bv  Roberts  Brothers. 


Knibnaits  Pr»<: 
John  Wilson  and  Son,  Cambridgb. 


P^  UNivERsrry  of  cal^ornia 

^  ,  I    ^  SANTA  aARBARA  COUBOfi  LIBRARY 

z\ic3        57111 


RISE    AND    FALL 


OF 


CESAR    BIROTTEAU. 


PAET  I. 

ClfeSAR  AT  HIS  APOGEE. 


During  winter  nights  noise  never  ceases  in  the  Rue 
Saint-Honord  except  for  a  short  interval.  Kitchen- 
gardeners  carrying  their  produce  to  market  continue 
the  stir  of  carriages  returning  from  theatres  and  balls. 
Near  the  middle  of  this  sustained  pause  in  the  grand 
symphony  of  Parisian  uproar,  which  occurs  about  one 
o'clock  in  the  morning,  the  wife  of  Monsieur  C^sar 
Birotteau,  a  perfumer  established  near  the  Place  Ven- 
d6me,  was  startled  from  her  sleep  bj'-  a  frightful  dream. 
She  had  seen  her  double.  She  had  appeared  to  herself 
clothed  in  rags,  turning  with  a  shrivelled,  withered  hand 
the  latch  of  her  own  shop-door,  seeming  to  be  at  the 
threshold,  yet  at  the  same  time  seated  in  her  armchair 
behind  the  counter.  She  was  asking  alms  of  herself, 
and  heard  herself  speaking  from  the  doorway  and  also 
from  her  seat  at  the  desk. 

1 


2  CSsar  Birotteau. 

She  tried  to  grasp  her  husband,  but  her  hand  fell  on 
a  cold  place.  Her  terror  became  so  intense  that  she 
could  not  move  her  neck,  which  stiffened  as  if  petrified  ; 
the  membranes  of  her  throat  became  glued  together, 
her  voice  failed  her.  She  remained  sitting  erect  in  the 
same  posture  in  the  middle  of  the  alcove,  both  panels 
of  which  were  wide  open,  her  eyes  staring  and  fixed, 
her  hair  quivering,  her  ears  filled  with  strange  noises, 
her  heart  tightened  yet  palpitating,  and  her  person 
bathed  in  perspiration  though  chilled  to  the  bone. 

Fear  is  a  half-diseased  sentiment,  which  presses  so 
violently  upon  the  human  mechanism  that  the  faculties 
are  suddenly  excited  to  the  highest  degree  of  their 
power  or  driven  to  utter  disorganization.  Physiologists 
have  long  wondered  at  this  phenomenon,  which  over- 
turns their  systems  and  upsets  all  theories  ;  it  is  in  fact 
a  thunderbolt  working  within  the  being,  and,  like  all 
electric  accidents,  capricious  and  whimsical  in  its  course. 
This  explanation  will  become  a  mere  commonplace  in 
the  day  when  scientific  men  are  brought  to  recognize  the 
immense  part  which  electricity  plays  in  human  thought. 

Madame  Birotteau  now  passed  through  several  of  the 
shocks,  in  some  sort  electrical,  which  are  produced  by 
terrible  explosions  of  the  will  forced  out,  or  held  under, 
by  some  mysterious  mechanism.  Thus  during  a  period 
of  time,  very  short  if  judged  b}-  a  watch,  but  immeas- 
urable when  calculated  by  the  rapidity  of  her  impres- 
sions, the  poor  woman  had  the  supernatural  power  of 
emitting  more  ideas  and  bringing  to  the  surface  more 
recollections  than,  under  any  ordinar}'  use  of  her  facul- 
ties, she  could  put  forth  in  the  couree  of  a  whole  day. 
The  poignant  tale  of  her  monologue  maj'  be  abridged 


CSsar  Birotteau.  8 

• 
into  a  few  absurd  sentences,  as  contradictory  and  bare 
of  meaning  as  the  monologue  itself. 

"  There  is  no  reason  why  Birotteau  should  leave  my 
bed !  He  has  eaten  so  much  veal  that  he  may  be  ill. 
But  if  he  were  ill  he  would  have  waked  me.  For  nine- 
teen years  that  we  have  slept  together  in  this  bed,  in 
this  house,  it  has  never  happened  that  he  left  his  place 
without  telling  me,  —  poor  sheep !  He  never  slept 
away  except  to  pass  the  night  in  the  guard-room.  Did 
become  to  bed  to-night?  Why,  of  course ;  goodness! 
how  stupid  I  am." 

She  cast  her  e^'es  upon  the  bed  and  saw  her  hus- 
band's night-cap,  which  still  retained  the  almost  conical 
shape  of  his  head. 

"Can  he  be  dead?  Has  he  killed  himself?  Why?" 
she  went  on.  "  For  the  last  two  years,  since  ihey  made 
him  deputy-ma3'or,  he  is  all-I-don't-Jcnow-how.  To 
put  him  into  public  life !  On  the  word  of  an  honest 
woman,  isn't  it  pitiable?  His  business  is  doing  well, 
for  he  gave  me  a  shawl.  But  perhaps  it  is  n't  doing 
well  ?  Bah !  I  should  know  of  it.  Does  one  ever 
know  what  a  man  has  got  in  his  head ;  or  a  woman 
either  ?  —  there  is  no  harm  in  that.  Did  n't  we  sell  five 
thousand  francs'  worth  to-day?  Besides,  a  deputy- 
ma3'or  couldn't  kill  himself;  he  knows  the  laws  too 
well.     Where  is  he  then?" 

She  could  neither  turn  her  neck,  nor  stretch  out  her 
hand  to  pull  the  bell,  which  would  have  put  in  motion 
a  cook,  three  clerks,  and  a  shop-bo}'.  A  prey  to  the 
nightmare,  which  still  lasted  though  her  mind  was  wide 
awake,  she  forgot  her  daughter  peacefully  asleep  in  an 
adjoining  room,  the  door  of  which  opened  at  the  foot  of 


4  CSsar  Birotteau. 

• 
her  bed.     At  last  she  cried,  "  Birotteau ! "  but  got  no 

answer.  She  thought  she  had  called  the  name  aloud, 
though  in  fact  she  had  onl}'  uttered  it  montall}'. 

"  Has  he  a  mistress?  He  is  too  stupid,"  she  added. 
"  Besides,  he  loves  me  too  well  for  that.  Did  n't  he 
tell  Madame  Roguin  that  he  had  never  been  unfaithful 
to  me,  even  in  thought?  He  is  virtue  upon  earth,  that 
man.  If  any  one  ever  deserved  paradise  he  does. 
What  does  he  accuse  himself  of  to  his  confessor,  I 
wonder  ?  He  must  tell  him  a  lot  of  fiddle-faddle.  jRoy- 
alist  as  he  is,  though  he  does  n't  know  whj-,  he  caivt 
Troth  up  his  religion.  Poor  dear  cat !  he  creeps  to  Mass 
at  eight  o'clock  as  sl^l^'^  as  if  he  were  going  to  a  bad 
house.  He  fears  God  for  God's  sake ;  hell  is  nothing 
to  him.  How  could  he  have  a  mistress?  He  is  so  tied 
to  my  petticoat  that  he  bores  me.  He  loves  me  better 
than  his  own  ej-es  ;  he  would  put  them  out  for  my  sake. 
For  nineteen  jears  he  has  never  said  to  me  one  word 
louder  than  another.  His  daughter  is  never  considered 
before  me.  But  C^sarine  is  here  —  Cesarine  !  Cesa- 
rine  1  —  Birotteau  has  never  had  a  thought  which  he  did 
not  tell  me.  He  was  right  enough  when  he  declared  to 
me  at  the  Petit-Matelot  that  I  should  never  know  him 
till  I  tried  him.    And  not  here!    It  is  extraordinary ! " 

She  turned  her  head  with  difficult}^  and  glanced  fur- 
tively about  the  room,  then  filled  with  those  picturesque 
effects  which  are  the  despair  of  language  and  seem  to 
belong  exclusive!}'  to  the  painters  of  genre.  AVhat 
words  can  picture  the  alarming  zig-zags  produced  by 
falling  shadows,  the  fantastic  appearance  of  curtains 
bulged  out  by  the  wind,  the  flicker  of  uncertain  light 
thrown  bj'  a  night-lamp  upon  the  folds  of  red  calico, 


CSsar  Birotteau.  5 

the  rays  shed  from  a  curtain-holder  whose  lurid  centre 
was  like  the  eye  of  a  burglar,  the  apparition  of  a  kneel- 
ing dress,  —  in  short,  all  the  grotesque  effects  which 
terrify  the  imagination  at  a  moment  when  it  has  no 
power  except  to  foresee  misfortunes  and  exaggerate 
them  ?  Madame  Birotteau  suddenly  saw  a  strong  light 
in  the  room  beyond  her  chamber,  and  thought  of  fire ; 
but  perceiving  a  red  foulard  which  looked  like  a  pool 
of  blood,  her  mind  turned  exclusively  to  burglars, 
especially  when  she  thought  she  saw  traces  of  a 
struggle  in  the  way  the  furniture  stood  about  the 
room.  Recollecting  the  sum  of  monej'  which  was  in 
the  desk,  a  generous  fear  put  an  end  to  the  chill  fer- 
ment of  her  nightmare.  She  sprang  terrified,  and  in 
her  night-gown,  into  the  very  centre  of  the  room  to 
help  Iier  husband,  whom  she  supposed  to  be  in  the 
grasp  of  assassins. 

"  Birotteau  !  Birotteau ! "  she  cried  at  last  in  a  voice 
full  of  anguish. 

She  then  saw  the  perfumer  in  the  middle  of  the  next 
room,  a  yard-stick  in  his  hand  measuring  the  air,  and 
so  ill  wrapped  up  in  his  green  cotton  dressing-gown 
with  chocolate-colored  spots  that  the  cold  had  reddened 
his  legs  without  his  feeling  it,  preoccupied  as  he  was. 
When  Cesar  turned  about  to  say  to  his  wife,  ""Well, 
what  do  3'ou  want,  Constance?"  his  air  and  manner, 
like  those  of  a  man  absorbed  in  calculations,  were  so 
prodigiously  silly  that  Madame  Birotteau  began  to 
laugh, 

"  Goodness!  Cesar,  if  you  are  not  an  oddity  like 
that !  "  she  said.  "  Why  did  3'ou  leave  me  alone  with- 
out telling  me?    I  have  nearly  died  of  teiTor;  I  did 


6  CSsar  Birotteau. 

not  know  what  to  imagine.  What  are  3'ou  doing  there, 
fljing  open  to  all  the  winds ?  You  '11  get  as  hoarse  as 
a  wolf.    Do  3'ou  hear  me,  Birotteau  ?  " 

"Yes,  wife,  here  I  am,"  answered  the  perfumer, 
coming  into  the  bedroom. 

"  Come  and  warm  yourself,  and  tell  me  what  maggot 
you've  got  in  your  head,"  replied  Madame  Birotteau 
opening  the  ashes  of  the  fire,  which  she  hastened  to 
relight.  "I  am  frozen.  What  a  goose  I  was  to  get 
up  in  my  night-gown  !  But  I  really  thought  they  were 
assassinating  you." 

The  shopkeeper  put  his  candlestick  on  the  chimney- 
piece,  wrapped  his  dressing-gown  closer  about  him,  and 
went  mechanically  to  find  a  flannel  petticoat  for  his 
wife. 

"  Here,  Mimi,  cover  j'ouvself  up,"  he  said.  "  Twenty- 
two  by  eighteen,"  he  resumed,  going  on  with  his  mono- 
logue ;   "we  can  get  a  superb  salon." 

"Ah,  9a!  Birotteau,  are  you  on  the  high-road  to 
insanity  ?    Are  you  dreaming  ?  " 

"  No,  wife,  I  am  calculating." 

"You  had  better  wait  till  daylight  for  your  non- 
sense," she  cried,  fastening  the  petticoat  beneath  her 
short  night-gown  and  going  to  the  door  of  the  room 
where  her  daughter  was  in  bed. 

"  Cesarine  is  asleep,"  she  said,  "  she  won't  hear  U9. 
Come,  Birotteau,  speak  up.     What  is  it?" 

"  We  can  give  a  ball." 

"Give  a  ball!  we?  On  the  word  of  an  honest 
woman,  30U  are  dreaming,  my  dear  friend." 

"I  am  not  dreaming,  my  beautiful  white  doe.  Listen. 
People  should  always  do  what  their  position  in  life 


CSsar  Birotteau.  7 

demands.  Government  has  brought  me  forward  into 
prominence.  I  belong  to  the  government;  it  is  my 
duty  to  study  its  mind,  and  further  its  intentions  by 
developing  them.  The  Due  de  Eichelieu  has  just  put 
an  end  to  the  occupation  of  France  by  the  foreign 
armies.  According  to  Monsieur  de  la  Billardiere,  the 
functionaries  who  represent  the  city  of  Paris  should 
make  it  their  duty,  each  in  his  own  sphere  of  influence, 
to  celebrate  the  liberation  of  our  territory.  Let  us 
show  a  true  patriotism  which  shall  put  these  liberals, 
these  damned  intriguers,  to  the  blush;  hein?  Do  j'ou 
think  I  don't  love  my  country?  I  wish  to  show  the 
liberals,  my  enemies,  that  to  love  the  king  is  to  love 
France." 

"  Do  you  think  you  have  got  any  enemies,  my  poor 
Birotteau?" 

"  Why,  yes,  wife,  we  have  enemies.  Half  our  friends 
in  the  quarter  are  our  enemies.  They  all  saj^,  '  Birot- 
teau has  had  luck  ;  Birotteau  is  a  man  who  came  from 
nothing :  yet  here  he  is  deputy-mayor ;  everything  suc- 
ceeds with  him.'  Well,  they  are  going  to  be  finely  sur- 
prised. You  are  the  first  to  be  told  that  I  am  made  a 
chevalier  of  the  Legion  of  honor.  The  king  signed 
the  order  yesterday'." 

"Oh!  then,"  said  Madame  Birotteau,  much  moved, 
"  of  course  we  must  give  the  ball,  my  good  friend.  But 
what  have  you  done  to  merit  the  cross?" 

"  Yesterday,  when  Monsieur  de  la  Billardiere  told  me 
the  news,"  said  Birotteau,  modestly,  "  I  asked  mj'self, 
as  )'ou  do,  what  claims  I  had  to  it ;  but  I  ended  by  see- 
ing what  they  were,  and  in  approving  the  action  of  the 
government.    In  the  first  place,  I  am  a  royalist ;  I  was 


8  CSsar  Birotteau. 

wounded  at  Saint-Roch  in  Vendemiaire :  is  n't  it  some- 
thing to  have  borne  arms  in  those  days  for  the  good 
cause?  Then,  according  to  the  merchants,  I  exercised 
my  judicial  functions  in  a  waj'  to  give  general  satisfac- 
tion. I  am  now  deputy-mayor.  The  king  grants  four 
crosses  to  the  municipality  of  Paris ;  the  prefect, 
selecting  among  the  deputies  suitable  persons  to  be 
thus  decorated,  has  placed  my  name  first  on  the  list. 
The  king  moreover  knows  me :  thanks  to  old  Ragon. 
I  furnish  him  with  the  only  powder  he  is  willing  to  use ; 
we  alone  possess  the  receipt  of  the  late  queen,  —  poor, 
dear,  august  victim !  The  mayor  vehemently  supported 
me.  So  there  it  is.  If  the  king  gives  me  the  cross 
without  mj'  asking  for  it,  it  seems  to  me  that  I  cannot 
refuse  it  without  failing  in  my  duty  to  him.  Did  I  seek 
to  be  deputy-ma^'or  ?  So,  wife,  since  we  are  sailing  be- 
fore the  wind,  as  your  uncle  PUlerault  says  when  he 
is  jovial,  I  have  decided  to  put  the  household  on  a  foot- 
ing in  conformit}^  with  our  high  position.  If  I  can 
become  anything,  I  '11  risk  being  whatever  the  good  God 
wills  that  I  shall  be,  —  sub-prefect,  if  such  be  my  destiny'. 
My  wife,  you  are  much  mistaken  if  j'ou  think  a  citizen 
has  paid  his  debt  to  his  country  by  merely  selling  per- 
fumery for  twenty  years  to  those  who  came  to  buy  it. 
If  the  State  demands  the  help  of  our  intelligence,  we 
are  as  much  bound  to  give  it  as  we  are  to  pay  the  tax 
on  personal  property,  on  windows  and  doors,  et  ccetera. 
Do  3'ou  want  to  stay  forever  behind  your  counter?  You 
I  have  been  there,  thank  God,  a  long  time.  This  ball 
shall  be  our  fete^.  —  )'ours  and  mine.  Good-by  to  econ- 
omy, —  for  3'our  sake,  be  it  understood.  I  burn  our 
sign, '  The  Queen  of  Roses ; '  I  efface  the  name, '  Cesar 


CSsar  Birotteau.  9 

Birotteau,  Perfumer,  Successor  to  Ragon,'  and  put 
simply  '  Perfumery '  in  big  letters  of  gold.  On  the 
entresol  I  place  the  office,  the  counting-room,  and  a 
pretty  little  sanctum  for  you.  I  make  the  shop  out  of 
the  back-shop,  the  present  dining-room,  and  kitchen. 
I  hire  the  first  floor  of  the  next  house,  and  open  a  door 
into  it  through  the  wall.  I  turn  the  staircase  so  as  to 
pass  from  house  to  house  on  one  floor ;  and  we  shall 
thus  get  a  grand  appartement,  furnished  like  a  nest. 
Yes,  I  shall  refurnish  your  bedroom,  and  contrive  a 
boudoir  for  you  and  a  pretty  chamber  for  Cesarine.  The 
shop-girl  whom  you  will  hire,  our  head  clerk,  and  your 
lady's-maid  (yes,  Madame,  you  are  to  have  one !)  will 
sleep  on  the  second  floor.  On  the  third  will  be  the 
kitchen  and  rooms  of  the  cook  and  the  man -of-all- work. 
The  fourth  shall  be  a  general  store-house  for  bottles, 
crystals,  and  porcelains.  The  workshop  for  our  people, 
in  the  attic  1  Passers-by  shall  no  longer  see  them  gum- 
ming on  the  labels,  making  the  bags,  sorting  the  flasks, 
and  corking  the  phials.  Very  well  for  the  Rue  Saint- 
Denis,  but  for  the  Rue  Saint-Honore  —  fy!  bad  style! 
Our  shop  must  be  as  comfortable  as  a  drawing-room. 
Tell  me,  are  we  the  only  perfumers  who  have  reached 
public  honors  ?  Are  there  not  vinegar  merchants  and 
mustard  men  who  command  in  the  National  Guard  and 
are  very  well  received  at  the  Palace  ?  Let  us  imitate 
them ;  let  us  extend  our  business,  and  at  the  same  time 
press  forward  into  higher  society." 

"Goodness!  Birotteau,  do  you  know  what  I  am 
thinking  of  as  I  listen  to  you  ?  You  are  like  the  man 
who  looks  for  knots  in  a  bulrush.  Recollect  what  I  said 
when  it  was  a  question  of  making  you  deputy-mayor : 


10  CSsar  Birotteau. 

'  jour  peace  of  mind  before  everj'thing ! '  You  are  as  fit, 
I  told  you, '  to  be  put  forward  iu  public  life  as  my  arm  is 
to  turn  a  windmill.  Honors  will  be  your  ruin  ! '  You 
would  not  listen  to  me,  and  now  the  ruin  has  come.  To 
play  a  part  in  politics  yoxx  must  have  money :  have  we 
any?  What !  would  you  burn  3'our  sign,  which  cost  six 
hundred  francs,  and  renounce  '  The  Queen  of  Roses,' 
your  true  glory  ?  Leave  ambition  to  others.  He  who 
puts  his  hand  in  the  fire  gets  burned,  —  is  n't  that  true  ? 
Politics  burn  in  these  days.  "We  have  one  hundred 
good  thousand  francs  invested  outside  of  our  business, 
our  productions,  our  merchandise.  If  3'ou  want  to  in- 
crease your  fortune,  do  as  they  did  in  1793.  The  Funds 
are  at  sixty-two :  hxxy  into  the  Funds.  You  will  get  ten 
thousand  francs'  income,  and  the  investment  won't  ham- 
per our  property.  Take  advantage  of  the  occasion  to 
marry  our  daughter;  sell  the  business,  and  let  us  go 
and  live  in  your  native  place.  Why  !  for  fifteen  years 
you  have  talked  of  nothing  but  buying  Les  Tresori^res, 
that  pretty  little  property'  near  Chinon,  where  there  are 
woods  and  fields,  and  ponds  and  vinejards,  and  two 
dairies,  which  bring  in  a  thousand  crowns  a  3'ear,  with 
a  house  which  we  both  like,  —  all  of  which  we  can  have 
for  sixty  thousand  francs  ;  and,  lo  !  Monsieur  now  wants 
to  become  something  under  government!  Recollect 
what  we  are, — perfumers.  If  sixteen  years  before 
you  invented  the  Double  Paste  op  Sultans  and  the 
Carminative  Balm  some  one  had  said,  'You  are  going 
to  make  enough  money  to  buj'  Les  Tresorieres,'  would  n't 
you  have  been  half  sick  with  joy?  Well,  you  can  ac- 
quire that  property  which  j'ou  wanted  so  much  that  you 
hardly  opened  your  mouth  about  anything  else,  and 


CSmr  Birotteau.  11 

now  you  talk  of  spending  on  nonsense  money  earned  by 
the  sweat  of  our  brow  :  I  can  say  ours,  for  I  've  sat  be- 
hind the  desk  through  all  that  time,  like  a  poor  dog  in 
his  kennel.  Is  n't  it  much  better  to  come  and  visit  our 
daughter  after  she  is  married  to  a  notary  of  Paris,  and 
live  eight  months  of  the  year  at  Chinon,  than  to  begin 
here  to  make  five  sous  six  blanks,  and  of  six  blanks 
nothing  ?  "Wait  for  a  rise  in  the  Funds,  and  you  can 
give  eight  thousand  francs  a  year  to  your  daughter  and 
we  can  keep  two  thousand  for  ourselves,  and  the  pro- 
ceeds of  the  business  will  allow  us  to  buy  Les  Tr^so- 
rieres.  There  in  your  native  place,  my  good  little 
cat,  with  our  furniture,  which  is  worth  a  great  deal,  we 
shall  live  like  princes  ;  whereas  here  we  want  at  least  a 
million  to  make  any  figure  at  all." 

"I  expected  you  to  say  all  this,  wife,"  said  C^sar 
Birotteau.  "I  am  not  quite  such  a  fool  (though  you 
think  me  a  great  fool,  you  do)  as  not  to  have  thought 
of  all  that.  Now,  listen  to  me.  Alexandre  Crottat  will 
fit  us  like  a  glove  for  a  son-in-law,  and  he  will  succeed 
Roguin  ;  but  do  you  suppose  he  will  be  satisfied  with  a 
hundred  thousand  francs  dot  ?  —  supposing  that  we  gave 
our  whole  property  outside  of  the  business  to  establish 
our  daughter,  and  I  am  willing;  I  would  gladly  live 
on  dry  bread  the  rest  of  my  daj's  to  see  her  happy  as 
a  queen,  the  wife  of  a  notary  of  Paris,  as  you  say. 
Well,  then,  a  hundred  thousand  francs,  or  even  eight 
thousand  francs  a  year,  is  nothing  at  all  towards  buy- 
ing Roguin's  practice.  Little  Xandrot,  as  we  call  him, 
thinks,  like  all  the  rest  of  the  world,  that  we  are  richer 
than  we  are.  If  his  father,  that  big  farmer  who  is  as 
close  as  a  snail,  won't  sell  a  hundred  thousand  francs 


12  CSsar  Birotteau. 

worth  of  land  Xandrot  can't  be  a  notarj^  for  Roguin's 
practice  is  worth  four  or  five  hundred  thousand.  If 
Crottat  does  not  pay  half  down,  how  could  he  negotiate 
the  affair?  Cesarine  must  have  two  hundred  thousand 
francs  dot;  and  I  mean  that  you  and  I  shall  retire  solid 
bourgeois  of  Paris,  with  fifteen  thousand  francs  a  year. 
Hein !  If  I  could  make  j'ou  see  that  as  plain  as  day, 
would  n't  it  shut  your  mouth  ?  " 

"  Oh,  if  you  've  got  the  mines  of  Peru  —  " 
"  Yes,  I  have,  my  lamb.  Yes,"  he  said,  taking  his 
wife  by  the  waist  and  striking  her  with  little  taps,  under 
an  emotion  of  joy  which  lighted  up  his  features,  "I 
did  not  wish  to  tell  you  of  this  matter  till  it  was  all 
cooked  ;  but  to-morrow  it  will  be  done,  — that  is,  per- 
haps it  will.  Here  it  is  then :  Roguin  has  proposed  a 
speculation  to  me,  so  safe  that  he  has  gone  into  it  with 
Ragon,  with  your  uncle  Pillerault,  and  two  other  of  his 
clients.  We  are  to  buy  property  near  the  Madeleine, 
which,  according  to  Roguin's  calculations,  we  shall  get 
for  a  quarter  of  the  value  which  it  will  bring  three  years 
from  now,  at  which  time,  the  present  leases  having  ex- 
pired, we  shall  manage  it  for  ourselves.  "We  have  all 
six  taken  certain  shares.  I  furnish  three  hundred  thou- 
sand francs, — that  is,  three-eighths  of  the  whole.  If 
any  one  of  us  wants  money,  Roguin  will  get  it  for  him 
by  h3'pothecating  his  share.  To  hold  the  gridiron  and 
know  how  the  fish  are  fried,  I  have  chosen  to  be  nomi- 
nall}''  proprietor  of  one  half,  which  is,  however,  to  be 
the  common  property  of  Pillerault  and  the  worthy 
Ragon  and  myself.  Roguin  will  be,  under  the  name  of 
Monsieur  Charles  Claparon,  co-proprietor  with  me,  and 
will  give  a  reversionary  deed  to  his  associates,  as  I  shall 


CSmr  Birotteau.  13 

to  mine.  The  deeds  of  purchase  are  made  by  promises 
of  sale  under  private  seal,  until  we  are  masters  of  the 
whole  propert}^  Roguin  will  investigate  as  to  which 
of  the  contracts  should  be  paid  in  money,  for  he  is  not 
sure  that  we  can  dispense  with  registering  and  yet  turn 
over  the  titles  to  those  to  whom  we  sell  in  small  parcels. 
But  it  takes  too  long  to  explain  all  this  to  you.  The 
ground  once  paid  for,  we  have  only  to  cross  our  arms 
and  in  three  j-ears  we  shall  be  rich  by  a  million.  Ce- 
sariue  will  then  be  twenty,  our  business  will  be  sold, 
and  we  shall  step,  by  the  grace  of  God,  modestly  to 
eminence." 

"  Where  will  you  get  j'our  three  hundred  thousand 
francs?  "  said  Madame  Birotteau. 

"You  don't  understand  business,  vay  beloved  little 
cat.  I  shall  take  the  hundred  thousand  francs  which 
are  now  with  Roguin ;  I  shall  borrow  fort}^  thousand 
on  the  buildings  and  gardens  where  we  now  have  our 
manufactory  in  the  Faubourg  du  Temple ;  we  have 
twenty'  thousand  francs  here  in  hand,  —  in  all,  one  hun- 
dred and  sixt}^  thousand.  There  remain  one  hundred 
and  forty  thousand  more,  for  which  I  shall  sign  notes 
to  the  order  of  Monsieur  Charles  Claparon,  banker. 
He  will  pay  the  value,  less  the  discount.  So  there  are 
the  three  hundred  thousand  francs  provided  for.  He 
who  owns  rents  r^wpa  nn^^t^ing  Whon  the  notes  fall 
due  we  can  pay  them  off  with  our  profits.  If  we 
cannot  pay  them  in  cash,  Roguin  will  give  the  mone}-  at 
five  per  cent,  hypothecated  on  my  share  of  the  prop- 
ert3^  But  such  loans  will  be  unnecessary.  I  have  dis- 
covered an  essence  which  will  make  the  hair  grow,  — 
an  Oil   Comagene,  from  Syria !     Livingston  has  just 


14  CSsar  Birotteau. 

set  up  for  me  an  hj'draulic  press  to  manufacture  the 
oil  from  nuts,  which  yield  it  readily  under  strong  pres- 
sure. In  a  3'ear,  according  to  m}'  calculations,  I  shall 
have  made  a  hundred  thousand  francs  at  least.  I 
meditate  an  advertisement  which  shall  begin,  '  Down 
with  wigs  ! '  —  the  effect  will  be  prodigious.  You  have 
never  found  out  m}^  wakefulness,  Madame  !  For  three 
months  the  success  of  Macassar  Oil  has  kept  me  from 
sleeping.  I  am  resolved  to  take  the  shine  out  of 
Macassar ! " 

"  So  these  are  the  fine  projects  you've  been  rolling 
in  yowY  noddle  for  two  months  without  choosing  to  tell 
me?  I  have  just  seen  myself  begging  at  my  own 
door,  —  a  warning  from  heaven  !  Before  long  we  shall 
have  nothing  left  but  our  eyes  to  weep  with.  Never 
■while  I  live  shall  you  do  it;  do  jou  hear  me,  Cesar? 
Underneath  all  this  there  is  some  plot  which  you  don't 
perceive ;  j'ou  are  too  upright  and  lo3-al  to  suspect  the 
trickery  of  others.  Wh^'  should  they  come  and  offer 
you  millions?  You  are  giving  up  your  propert}-,  j-ou 
are  going  bej'ond  3-our  means  ;  and  if  3'our  oil  does  n't 
succeed,  if  j'ou  don't  make  the  monej',  if  the  value  of 
the  land  can't  be  reaUzed,  how  will  you  pay  your 
notes?  "With  the  shells  of  j'our  nuts?  To  rise  in  so- 
ciet}-  30U  are  going  to  hide  your  name,  take  down 
your  sign,  '  The  Queen  of  Roses,'  and  jet  you  mean 
to  salaam  and  bow  and  scrape  in  advertisements  and 
prospectuses,  which  will  placard  Cesar  Birotteau  at 
[  every  corner,  and  on  all  the  boards,  wherever  they  are 
ibuilding." 

"  Oh !  5'ou  are  not  up  to  it  all.  I  shall  have  a 
branch  establishment,  under  the  name  of  Popinot,  in 


CSsar  Birotteau.  16 

some  house  near  the  Rue  des  Lombards,  where  I  shall 
put  little  Anselme.  I  shall  pay  T[\y  debt  of  gratitude 
to  Monsieur  and  Madame  Ragon  by  setting  up  their 
nephew,  who  can  make  his  fortune.  The  poor  Rago- 
nines  look  to  me  half-starved  of  late." 
"  Bah  !  all  those  people  want  j'Our  mone3%" 
♦ '  But  what  people,  my  treasure  ?  Is  it  3'our  uncle 
Pillerault,  who  loves  us  like  the  apple  of  his  ej-e,  and 
dines  with  us  every  Sunday?  Is  it  good  old  Ragon, 
our  predecessor,  who  has  forty  upright  years  in  business 
to  boast  of,  and  with  whom  we  play  our  game  of  bos- 
ton? Is  it  Roguin,  a  notary,  a  man  fiftj'-seven  years 
old,  twenty-five  of  which  he  has  been  in  office?  A 
notar}'^  of  Paris !  he  would  be  the  flower  of  the  lot,  if 
honest  folk  were  not  all  worth  the  same  price.  If 
necessary,  my  associates  will  help  me.  Where  is  the 
plot,  my  white  doe?  Look  here,  I  must  tell  j'ou  your 
defect.  On  the  word  of  an  honest  man  it  lies  on  my 
heart.  You  are  as  suspicious  as  a  cat.  As  soon  as 
we  had  two  sous  worth  in  the  shop  you  thought  the 
customers  were  all  thieves.  I  had  to  go  down  on  my 
knees  to  you  to  let  me  make  you  rich.  For  a  Parisian 
girl  you  have  no  ambition !  If  it  had  n't  been  for  your 
perpetual  fears,  no  man  could  have  been  happier  than  I. 
If  I  had  listened  to  you  I  should  never  have  invented 
the  Paste  of  Sultans  nor  the  Carminative  Balm.  Our 
shop  has  given  us  a  living,  but  those  two  discoveries 
have  made  the  hundred  and  sixtj-  thousand  francs  which 
we  possess,  net  and  clear !  Without  my  genius,  for  I 
certainly  have  talent  as  a  perfumer,  we  should  now  be 
petty  retail  shopkeepers,  pulling  the  devil's  tail  to  make 
both  euds  meet.    I  should  n't  be  a  distinguished  mer- 


16  CSsar  Birotteau. 

chant,  competing  in  the  election  of  judges  for  the  depart- 
ment of  commerce ;  I  should  be  neither  a  judge  nor  a 
deputy-mayor.  Do  you  know  what  I  should  be?  A 
shopkeeper  like  Pere  Ragon,  — be  it  said  without  offence, 
for  I  respect  shopkeeping ;  the  best  of  our  kidnej'  are  in 
it.  After  selling  perfumery  like  him  for  forty  years,  we 
should  be  worth  three  thousand  francs  a  year ;  and  at 
the  price  things  are  now,  for  they  have  doubled  in 
value,  we  should,  like  them,  have  barely  enough  to 
live  on.  (Day  after  day  that  poor  old  household  wrings 
my  heart  more  and  more.  I  must  know  more  about  it, 
and  I'll  get  at  the  truth  from  Popinot  to-morrow  !)  If  I 
had  followed  your  advice  —  you  who  have  such  uneasy 
happiness  and  are  alwaj'S  asking  whether  j-ou  will  have 
to-morrow  what  3'ou  have  got  to-da}'  —  I  should  have  no 
credit,  I  should  have  no  cross  of  the  Legion  of  honor. 
I  should  not  be  on  the  highroad  to  becoming  a  political 
personage.  Yes,  j'ou  maj'  shake  3'our  head,  but  if  our 
affair  succeeds  I  may  become  deputy  of  Paiis.  Ah  !  I 
am  not  named  Cesar  for  nothing ;  I  succeed.  It  is 
unimaginable  !  outside  every  one  credits  me  with  capac- 
ity, but  here  the  only  person  whom  I  want  so  much  to 
please  that  I  sweat  blood  and  water  to  make  her  happj- , 
is  precisely  the  one  who  takes  me  for  a  fool." 

These  phrases,  divided  by  eloquent  pauses  and  deliv- 
ered like  shot,  after  the  manner  of  those  who  recrimi- 
nate, expressed  so  deep  and  constant  an  attachment 
that  Madame  Birotteau  was  inwardly  touched,  though, 
like  all  women,  she  made  use  of  the  love  she  inspired 
to  gain  her  end. 

"Well!  Birotteau,"  she  said,  "if  you  love  me,  let 
me  be  happy  my  own  way.     Neither  you  nor  I  have 


Cisar  Birotteau,  IT 

education;  we  don't  know  how  to  talk,  nor  to  play 
♦  your  obedient  servant '  like  men  of  the  world ;  how 
then  do  you  expect  that  we  could  succeed  in  government 
places  ?  I  shall  be  happy  at  Les  Tr^sorieres,  indeed  I 
shall.  I  have  always  loved  birds  and  animals,  and  I 
can  pass  my  life  very  well  taking  care  of  the  hens  and 
the  farm.  Let  us  sell  the  business,  marry  Cesarine, 
and  give  up  your  visions.  We  can  come  and  pass  the 
winters  in  Paris  with  our  son-in-law;  we  shall  be 
happy ;  nothing  in  politics  or  commerce  can  then 
change  our  way  of  life.  Why  do  you  want  to  crush 
others?  Isn't  our  present  fortune  enough  for  us? 
When  you  are  a  millionnaire  can  you  eat  two  dinners  ; 
will  you  want  two  wives  ?  Look  at  my  uncle  Pillerault ! 
He  is  wisely  content  with  his  little  property,  and  spends 
his  life  in  good  deeds.  Does  he  want  fine  furniture? 
Not  he !  I  know  very  well  you  have  been  ordering 
furniture  for  me :  1  saw  Braschon  here,  and  it  was  not 
to  buy  perfumery." 

"  Well,  my  beauty,  yes  !  Your  furniture  is  ordered ; 
our  improvements  begin  to-morrow,  and  are  superin- 
tended by  an  architect  recommended  to  me  by  Monsieur 
de  la  Billardiere." 

"  My  God !  "  she  cried,  "  have  pity  upon  us ! " 
"But  you  are  not  reasonable,  my  love.  Do  you 
think  that  at  thirty-seven  years  of  age,  fresh  and  pretty 
as  you  are,  j'ou  can  go  and  bury  yourself  at  Chinon  ? 
I,  thank  God,  am  only  thirty-nine.  Chance  opens  to 
me  a  fine  career ;  I  enter  upon  it.  If  I  conduct  myself 
prudently  I  can  make  an  honorable  house  among  the 
bourgeoisie  of  Paris,  as  was  done  in  former  times.  I 
can  found  the  house  of  Birotteau,  like  the  house  of 

2 


18  CSaar  Birotteau. 

Keller,  or  Jules  Desmarets,  or  Roguin,  Cochin,  Guii- 
laume,  Lebas,  Nucingen,  Saillard,  Popinot,  Matifat, 
who  make  their  mark,  or  have  made  it,  in  their  respec- 
tive quarters.  Come  now  !  If  this  affair  were  not  as 
sure  as  bars  of  gold  — " 

"  Sure  !  " 

"  Yes,  sure.  For  two  months  I  have  figured  at  it. 
Without  seeming  to  do  so,  I  have  been  getting  informa- 
tion on  building  from  the  department  of  public  works, 
from  architects  and  contractors.  Monsieur  Grindot, 
the  young  architect  who  is  to  alter  our  house,  is  in  de- 
spair that  he  has  no  mone}'  to  put  into  the  speculation." 

"He  hopes  for  the  work;  he  says  that  to  screw 
something  out  of  you." 

"  Can  he  take  in  such  men  as  Pillerault,  as  Charles 
Claparon,  as  Roguin?  The  profit  is  as  sure  as  that  of 
the  Paste  of  Sultans." 

"But,  my  dear  friend,  why  should  Roguin  speculate? 
He  gets  his  commissions,  and  his  fortune  is  made.  I 
see  him  pass  sometimes  more  full  of  care  than  a  minis- 
ter of  state,  with  an  underhand  look  which  I  don't  like  ; 
he  hides  some  secret  anxiety.  His  face  has  grown  in 
five  years  to  look  like  that  of  an  old  rake.  Who  can 
be  sure  that  he  won't  kick  over  the  traces  when  he  gets 
all  3'our  property  into  his  own  hands.  Such  things 
happen.  Do  we  know  him  well?  He  has  only  been  a 
friend  for  fifteen  years,  and  I  wou|d  n't  put  my  hand 
into  the  fire  for  him.  Why  !  he  is  not  decent :  he  does 
not  live  with  his  wife.  He  must  have  mistresses  who 
ruin  him  ;  I  don't  see  any  other  cause  for  his  anxiet}'. 
When  I  am  dressing  I  look  through  the  blinds,  and  I 
often  see  him  coming  home  in  the  mornings:  where 


C4%ar  Birotteau.  19 

from  ?  Nobody  knows.  He  seems  to  me  like  a  man 
who  has  an  establishment  in  town,  who  spends  on  his 
pleasures,  and  Madame  on  hers.  Is  that  the  life  of  a 
notary  ?  If  they  make  fifty  thousand  francs  a  year  and 
spend  sixty  thousand,  in  twenty  years  they  will  get  to 
the  end  of  their  property  and  be  as  naked  as  the  little 
Saint  John  ;  and  then,  as  they  can't  do  without  luxury, 
they  will  prey  upon  their  friends  without  compunction. 
Charity  begins  at  home.  He  is  intimate  with  that  little 
scamp  du  Tillet,  our  former  clerk ;  and  I  see  nothing 
good  in  that  friendship.  If  he  does  n't  know  how  to 
judge  du  Tillet  he  must  be  blind  ;  and  if  he  does  know 
him,  why  does  he  pet  him?  You  '11  tell  me,  because  his 
wife  is  fond  of  du  Tillet.  "Well,  I  don't  look  for  any 
good  in  a  man  who  has  no  honor  with  respect  to  his 
wife.  Besides,  the  present  owners  of  that  land  must  be 
fools  to  sell  for  a  hundred  sous  what  is  worth  a  hundred 
francs.  If  you  met  a  child  who  did  not  know  the  value 
of  a  louis,  wouldn't  you  feel  bound  to  tell  him  of  it? 
Your  affair  looks  to  me  hke  a  theft,  be  it  said  without 
ofience." 

"Good  God!  how  queer  women  are  sometimes,  and 
how  they  mix  up  ideas !  If  Roguin  were  not  in  this 
business,  you  would  say  to  me :  '  Look  here,  Cesar, 
you  are  going  into  a  thing  without  Roguin  ;  therefore  it 
is  worth  nothing.'  But  to-day  he  is  in  it,  as  security, 
and  you  tell  me  — " 

*'  No,  that  is  a  Monsieur  Claparon." 

"But  a  notary  cannot  put  his  own  name  into  a 
speculation." 

"  Then  why  is  he  doing  a  thing  forbidden  by  law? 
How  do  you  answer  that,  you  who  are  guided  by  law?" 


20  Cizar  Birotteau. 

"  Let  me  go  on.  Eoguin  is  in  it,  and  j'ou  tell  me  the 
business  is  worthless.  Is  that  reasonable?  You  say, 
'  He  is  acting  against  the  law.'  But  he  would  put  him- 
self openl}'  in  the  business  if  it  were  necessary.  Can't 
the}'  say  the  same  of  me  ?  Would  Ragon  and  Pillerault 
come  and  say  to  me :  '  Why  do  you  have  to  do  with 
this  affair, — you  who  have  made  j'our  money  as  a 
merchant  ? ' " 

"  Merchants  are  not  in  the  same  position  as  nota- 
ries," said  Madame  Birotteau. 

"  Well,  m}'  conscience  is  clear,"  said  Cesar,  continu- 
ing ;  "  the  people  who  sell,  sell  because  the^^  must ;  we 
do  not  steal  from  them  any  more  than  you  steal  from 
others  when  you  buy  their  stocks  at  seventy-five.  We 
buj'  the  ground  to-day  at  to-day's  price.  In  two  j'ears 
it  will  be  another  thing:  just  so  with  stocks.  Know 
then,  Constance-Barbe-Josephine  Pillerault,  that  you  will 
never  catch  C^sar  Birotteau  doing  an3i;hing  against  the 
most  rigid  honor,  nor  against  the  laws,  nor  against  his 
conscience,  nor  against  delicacy.  A  man  established 
and  known  for  eighteen  years,  to  be  suspected  in  his 
own  household  of  dishonesty !  " 

"  Come,  be  calm,  C^sar!  A  woman  who  has  lived 
with  3'ou  all  that  time  knows  down  to  the  bottom  of 
your  soul.  You  are  the  master,  after  all.  You  earned 
your  fortune,  didn't  you?  It  is  3'ours,  and  3'ou  can 
spend  it.  If  we  are  reduced  to  the  last  straits  of  pov- 
erty, neither  your  daughter  nor  I  will  make  you  a  single 
reproach.  But,  listen :  when  you  invented  your  Paste 
of  Sultans  and  Carminative  Balm,  what  did  jou  risk? 
Five  or  six  thousand  francs.  To-day  j'ou  put  all  your 
fortune  on  a  game  of  cards.    And  you  are  not  the  only 


CSsar  Birotteau.  21 

one  to  play ;  you  have  associates  who  may  be  much 
cleverer  than  j-ou.  Give  your  ball,  remodel  the  house, 
spend  ten  thousand  francs  if  you  like, — it  is  useless  but 
not  ruinous.  As  to  your  speculations  near  the  Made- 
leine, I  formally  object.  You  are  a  perfumer:  be  a 
perfumer,  and  not  a  speculator  in  land.  We  women 
have  instincts  which  do  not  deceive  us.  I  have  warned 
you  ;  now  follow  your  own  lead.  You  have  been  judge 
in  the  department  of  commerce,  you  know  the  laws. 
So  far,  you  have  guided  the  ship  well,  Cdsar ;  I  shall 
follow  you  !  But  I  shall  tremble  till  I  see  our  fortune 
solidly  secure  and  Cesarine  well  married.  God  grant 
that  my  dream  be  not  a  prophecy  !  " 

This  submission  thwarted  Birotteau,  who  now  em- 
ployed an  innocent  ruse  to  which  he  had  had  recourse 
on  similar  occasions. 

"Listen,  Constance.  I  have  not  given  my  word; 
though  it  is  the  same  as  if  I  had." 

"  Oh,  C^sar,  all  is  said  ;  let  us  say  no  more.  Honor 
before  fortune.  Come,  go  to  bed,  dear  friend,  there 
is  no  more  wood.  Besides,  we  shall  talk  better  in  bed, 
if  it  amuses  you.  Oh !  that  horrid  dream  1  My  God  I 
to  see  one's  self!  It  was  fearful !  Cesarine  and  I  will 
have  to  make  a  pretty  number  of  neuvaines  for  the 
success  of  your  speculations." 

"  Doubtless  the  help  of  God  can  do  no  harm,"  said 
Birotteau,  gravely.  "But  the  oil  of  nuts  is  also  pow- 
erful, wife.  I  made  this  discovery  just  as  I  made  that 
of  the  Double  Paste  of  Sultans, —  by  chance.  The 
first  time  by  opening  a  book ;  this  time  by  looking  at 
an  engraving  of  Hero  and  Leander:  you  know,  the 
woman  who  pours  oil  on  the  head  of  her  lover ;  pretty, 


22  C6»ar  Birotteau. 

is  n't  it?  The  safest  speculations  are  those  which  de- 
pend on  vanity,  on  self-love,  on  the  desire  of  appearing 
well.     Those  sentiments  never  die." 

"Alas!   I  know  it  well." 

"At  a  certain  age  men  will  turn  their  souls  inside 
out  to  get  hair,  if  they  have  n't  any.  For  some  time 
past  hair-dressers  have  told  me  that  they  sell  not  only 
Macassar,  but  all  the  drugs  which  are  said  to  dj-e  hair 
or  make  it  grow.  Since  the  peace,  men  are  more  with 
women,  and  women  don't  like  bald-heads ;  hey !  hey  ! 
Mimi?  The  demand  for  that  article  grows  out  of  the 
political  situation.  A  composition  which  will  keep  the 
hair  in  good  health  will  sell  like  bread  ;  all  the  more  if 
it  has  the  sanction,  as  it  will  have,  of  the  Academy  of 
Sciences.  M}"^  good  Monsieur  Vauqueliu  will  perhaps 
help  me  once  more.  I  shall  go  to  him  to-morrow  and 
submit  my  idea ;  offering  him  at  the  same  time  that 
engraving  which  I  have  at  last  found  in  Germany,  after 
two  3'ears'  search.  He  is  now  engaged  in  anal^^zing 
hair:  Chiffreville,  his  associate  in  the  manufacture  of 
chemical  products,  told  me  so.  If  my  discovery  should 
jump  with  his,  my  essence  will  be  bought  by  both 
sexes.  The  idea  is  a  fortune  ;  I  repeat  it.  Mon  Dieu  ! 
I  can't  sleep.  Hey !  luckily  little  Popinot  has  the 
finest  head  of  hair  in  the  world.  A  shop-girl  with  hair 
long  enough  to  touch  the  ground,  and  who  could  say  — 
if  the  thing  were  possible  without  offence  to  God  or 
my  neighbor  —  that  the  Oil  Comag^ne  (for  it  shall  be  an 
oil,  decidedly)  has  had  something  to  do  with  it,  —  all 
the  gray-heads  in  Paris  will  fling  themselves  upon  the 
invention  like  poverty  upon  the  world.  Hey !  h^y ! 
Migi;ionne  !  how  about  the  ball  ?    I  am  not  wicked,  but 


CS^ar  Birotteau.  23 

I  should  like  to  meet  that  little  scamp  du  Tillet,  who 
swells  out  with  his  fortune  and  avoids  me  at  the  Bourse. 
He  knows  that  I  know  a  thing  about  him  which  was 
not  fine.  Perhaps  I  have  been  too  kind  to  him.  Is  n't 
it  odd,  wife,  that  we  are  always  punished  for  our  good 
deeds?  —  here  below,  I  mean.  I  behaved  like  a  father 
to  him  ;  you  don't  know  all  I  did  for  him." 

"  You  give  me  goose-flesh  merely  speaking  of  it.  If 
you  knew  what  he  wished  to  make  of  you,  you  would 
never  have  kept  the  secret  of  his  stealing  that  three 
thousand  francs,  —  for  I  guessed  just  how  the  thing 
was  done.  If  you  had  sent  him  to  the  correctional 
pohce,  perhaps  you  would  have  done  a  service  to  a  good 
many  people." 

*'  What  did  he  wish  to  make  of  me?  " 

"  Nothing.  If  you  were  inclined  to  listen  to  me 
to-night,  I  would  give  you  a  piece  of  good  advice, 
Birotteau ;  and  that  is,  to  let  your  du  Tillet  alone." 

"Won't  it  seem  strange  if  I  exclude  him  from  my 
house,  —  a  clerk  for  whom  I  indorsed  to  the  amount  of 
twenty  thousand  francs  when  he  first  went  into  busi- 
ness? Come,  let  us  do  good  for  good's  sake.  Besides, 
perhaps  du  Tillet  has  mended  his  ways." 

" Everything  is  to  be  turned  topsy-turvy,  then?  " 

"  What  do  you  mean  with  your  topsj'-turvj'  ?  Every- 
thing will  be  ruled  like  a  sheet  of  music-paper.  Have 
you  forgotten  what  I  have  just  told  you  about  turning 
the  staircase  and  hiring  the  first  floor  of  the  next 
house  ?  —  which  is  all  settled  with  the  umbrella-maker, 
Cayron.  He  and  I  are  going  to-morrow  to  see  his 
proprietor,  Monsieur  Molineux.  To-morrow  I  have  as 
much  to  do  as  a  minister  of  state." 


24  CSsar  Birotteau. 

"You  turn  my  brain  with  your  projects,"  said  Con- 
stance. "I  am  all  mixed  up.  Besides,  Birotteau, 
I'm  asleep." 

"  Good-day,"  replied  the  husband.  "  Just  listen  ;  I 
say  good-daj'  because  it  is  morning,  Mimi.  Ah !  there 
she  is  off,  the  dear  child.  Yes !  you  shall  be  rich, 
richissime,  or  I  '11  renounce  my  name  of  Cesar ! " 

A  few  moments  later  Constance  and  Cesar  were 
peacefully  snoring. 


CSsar  Birotteau.  25 


n. 


A  GLANCE  rapidly  thrown  over  the  past  life  of  this 
household  will  strengthen  the  ideas  which  ought  to 
have  been  suggested  by  the  friendly  altercation  of  the 
two  personages  in  this  scene.  While  picturing  the 
manners  and  customs  of  retail  shopkeepers,  this  sketch 
will  also  show  by  what  singular  chances  Cesar  Birotteau 
became  deputy-mayor  and  perfumer,  retired  officer  of 
the  National  Guard,  and  chevalier  of  the  Legion  of 
honor.  In  bringing  to  light  the  depths  of  his  charac- 
ter and  the  causes  of  his  rise,  we  shall  show  that  for- 
tuitous commercial  events  which  strong  brains  dominate, 
may  become  irreparable  catastrophes  for  weak  ones. 
Events  are  never  absolute ;  their  results  depend  on 
individuals.  Misfortune  is  a  stepping-stone  for  genius, 
the  baptismal  font  of  Christians,  a  treasure  for  the 
skilful  man,  an  abyss  for  the  feeble. 

A  vine-dresser  in  the  neighborhood  of  Chinon,  named 
Jean  Birotteau,  married  the  waiting-maid  of  a  lady 
whose  vines  he  tilled.  He  had  three  sons ;  his  wife 
died  in  giving  birth  to  the  last,  and  the  poor  man  did 
not  long  survive  her.  The  mistress  had  been  fond  of 
the  maid,  and  brought  up  with  her  own  sons  the  eldest 
child,  FrauQois,  and  placed  him  in  a  seminary.  Or- 
dained priest,  Fran9ois  Birotteau  hid  himself  during 
the  Revolution,  and  led  the  wandering  life  of  priests 
not  sworn  by  the  Repubhc,  hunted  like  wild  beasts  and 


26  Ci%ar  Birotteau. 

guillotined  at  the  first  chance.  At  the  time  when  this 
histor}'  begins  he  was  vicar  of  the  cathedral  of  Tours, 
and  had  only  once  left  that  city  to  visit  his  brother 
Cesar.  The  bustle  of  Paris  so  bewildered  the  good 
priest  that  he  was  afraid  to  leave  his  room.  He  called 
the  cabriolets  "  half-coaches,"  and  wondered  at  all  he 
saw.  After  a  week's  stay  he  went  back  to  Tours  re- 
solving never  to  revisit  the  capital. 

The  second  son  of  the  vine-dresser,  Jean  Birotteau, 
was  drafted  into  the  militia,  and  won  the  rank  of  cap- 
tain early  in  the  wars  of  the  Revolution.  At  the 
battle  of  Trebia,  Macdonald  called  for  volunteers  to 
carry  a  battery.  Captain  Jean  Birotteau  advanced 
with  his  company,  and  was  killed.  The  destiny  of 
the  Birotteaus  demanded,  no  doubt,  that  they  should 
be  oppressed  b^'^  men,  or  by  circumstances,  whereso- 
ever they  planted  themselves. 

The  last  child  is  the  hero  of  this  story.  When 
Cesar  at  fourteen  years  of  age  could  read,  write,  and 
cipher,  he  left  his  native  place  and  came  to  Paris  on 
foot  to  seek  his  fortune,  with  one  louis  in  his  pocket. 
The  recommendation  of  an  apothecary  at  Tours  got 
him  a  place  as  shop-boy  with  Monsieur  and  Madame 
Ragon,  perfumers.  Cesar  owned  at  this  period  a  pair 
of  hob-nailed  shoes,  a  pair  of  breeches,  blue  stockings, 
a  flowered  waistcoat,  a  peasant's  jacket,  three  coarse 
shirts  of  good  linen,  and  his  travelling  cudgel.  If  his 
hair  was  cut  like  that  of  a  choir-boy,  he  at  least  had 
the  sturdy  loins  of  a  Tourangian ;  if  he  3'ielded  some- 
times to  the  native  idleness  of  his  birthplace,  it  was 
counterbalanced  by  his  desire  to  make  his  fortune ;  if 
he  lacked  cleverness  and  education,  he  possessed  an 


Cesar  Birotteau.  27 

instinctive  rectitude  and  delicate  feelings,  which  he 
inherited  from  his  mother,  —  a  being  who  had,  in  Tour- 
angian  phrase,  a  "  heart  of  gold."  Cesar  received  from 
the  Ragons  his  food,  six  francs  a  month  as  wages,  and 
a  pallet  to  sleep  upon  in  the  garret  near  the  cook. 
The  clerks  who  taught  him  to  pack  the  goods,  to  do 
the  errands,  and  sweep  up  the  shop  and  the  pave- 
ment, made  fun  of  him  as  they  did  so,  according  to 
the  manners  and  customs  of  shop-keeping,  in  which 
chaff  is  a  principal  element  of  instruction.  Monsieur 
and  Madame  Ragon  spoke  to  him  like  a  dog.  No  one 
paid  attention  to  his  weariness,  though  man}-  a  night 
his  feet,  blistered  by  the  pavementsjof  Paris,  and  his 
bruised  shoulders,  made  him  suffer  horribly.  This 
harsh  application  of  the  maxim  "each  for  himself,"  — 
the  gospel  of  large  cities,  —  made  C^sar  think  the  life 
of  Paris  very  hard.  At  night  he  cried  as  he  thought  of 
Touraine,  where  the  peasant  works  at  his  ease,  where 
the  mason  laj's  a  stone  between  breakfast  and  dinner, 
and  idleness  is  wisely  mingled  with  labor ;  but  he 
always  fell  asleep  without  having  time  to  think  of 
running  away,  for  he  had  his  errands  to  do  in  the 
morning,  and  obeyed  his  duty  with  the  instinct  of  a 
watch-dog.  If  occasionally  he  complained,  the  head 
clerk  would  smile  with  a  jovial  air,  and  saj^  — 

"  Ah,  my  boy  !  all  is  not  rose  at '  The  Queen  of  Roses.* 
Larks  don't  fall  down  roasted  ;  you  must  run  after  them 
and  catch  them,  and  then  you  must  find  some  way  to 
cook  them." 

The  cook,  a  big  creature  from  Picardy,  took  the  best 
bits  for  herself,  and  only  spoke  to  Cesar  when  she 
wanted  to  complain  of  Monsieur  and  Madame  Ragon, 


28  CSsar  Birotteau. 

who  left  her  nothing  to  steal.  Towards  the  end  of  the 
first  month  this  girl,  who  was  forced  to  keep  house  of  a 
Sunday,  opened  a  conversation  with  Cesar.  Ursula 
with  the  grease  washed  off  seemed  charming  to  the 
poor  shop-boy,  who,  unless  hindered  by  chance,  was 
likely  to  strike  on  the  first  rock  that  lay  hidden  in  his 
way.  Like  all  unprotected  boys,  he  loved  the  first 
woman  who  threw  him  a  kind  look.  The  cook  took 
Cesar  under  her  protection  ;  and  thence  followed  certain 
secret  relations,  which  the  clerks  laughed  at  pitilessly'. 
Two  years  later,  the  cook  happily  abandoned  Cesar  for 
a  3'oung  recruit  belonging  to  her  native  place  who  was 
then  hiding  in  Paris,  —  a  lad  twentj^  years  old,  owning  a 
few  acres  of  land,  who  let  Ursula  marry  him. 

During  those  two  years  the  cook  had  fed  her  little 
Cesar  well,  and  had  explained  to  him  certain  mysteries 
of  Parisian  life,  which  she  made  him  look  at  from  the 
bottom  ;  and  she  impressed  upon  him,  out  of  jealousy, 
a  profound  horror  of  evil  places,  whose  dangers  seemed 
not  unknown  to  her.  In  1792  the  feet  of  the  deserted 
C^sar  were  well-toughened  to  the  pavements,  his  shoul- 
ders to  the  bales,  and  his  mind  to  what  he  called  the 
"  humbugs  "  of  Paris.  So  when  Ursula  abandoned  him 
he  was  speedily  consoled,  for  she  had  realized  none  of 
his  instinctive  ideas  in  relation  to  sentiment.  Licen- 
tious and  surly,  wheedling  and  pilfering,  selfish  and  a 
tippler,  she  clashed  with  the  simple  nature  of  Birotteau 
without  offering  him  oxvy  compensating  perspective. 
Sometimes  the  poor  lad  felt  with  pain  that  he  was  bound 
by  ties  that  are  strong  to  hold  ingenuous  hearts  to  a  crea- 
ture with  whom  he  could  not  sympathize.  By  the  time 
that  he  became  master  of  his  own  heart  he  had  reached 


CSsar  Birotteau.  29 

his  growth,  and  was  sixteen  years  old.  His  mind,  de- 
veloped b}^  Ursula  and  by  the  banter  of  the  clerks,  made 
him  study  commerce  with  an  eye  in  which  intelligence 
was  veiled  beneath  simplicity :  he  observed  the  custo- 
mers ;  asked  in  leisure  moments  for  explanations  about 
the  merchandise,  whose  divers  sorts  and  proper  places 
he  retained  in  his  head.  The  day  came  when  he  knew 
all  the  articles,  and  their  prices  and  marks,  better  than 
any  new-comer ;  and  from  that  time  Monsieur  and 
Madame  Ragon  made  a  practice  of  emploj-ing  him  in 
the  business. 

When  the  terrible  levy  of  the  year  II.  made  a  clean 
sweep  in  the  shop  of  citizen  Ragon,  Cesar  Birotteau, 
promoted  to  be  second  clerk,  profited  hy  the  occasion 
to  obtain  a  salar3''  of  fifty  francs  a  month,  and  took  his 
seat  at  the  dinner-table  of  the  Ragons  with  ineflTable 
delight.  The  second  clerk  of  "The  Queen  of  Roses," 
possessing  already  six  hundred  francs,  now  had  a 
chamber  where  he  could  put  away,  in  long-coveted 
articles  of  furniture,  the  clothing  he  had  little  by  little 
got  together.  Dressed  like  other  young  men  of  an 
epoch  when  fashion  required  the  assumption  of  boorish 
manners,  the  gentle  and  modest  peasant  had  an  air  and 
manner  which  rendered  him  at  least  their  equal ;  and 
he  thus  passed  the  barriers  which  in  other  times  ordi- 
nary life  would  have  placed  between  himself  and  the 
bourgeoisie.  Towards  the  end  of  this  year  his  integrity- 
won  him  a  place  in  the  counting-room.  The  dignified 
citoyenne  Ragon  herself  looked  after  his  linen,  and  the 
two  shopkeepers  became  familiar  with  him. 

In  Vendemiaire,  1794,  Cesar,  who  possessed  a  hun- 
dred louis  d'or,  changed  them  for  six  thousand  francs 


30  CSsar  Birotteau. 

in  assignats,  with  which  he  bought  into  the  Funds  at 
thirty,  pacing  for  the  investment  on  the  very  day  before 
the  paper  began  its  course  of  depreciation  at  the  Bourse, 
and  locking  up  his  securities  with  unspeakable  satisfac- 
tion. From  that  day  forward  he  watched  the  move- 
ment of  stocks  and  public  affairs  with  secret  anxieties 
of  his  own,  which  made  him  quiver  at  each  rumor  of 
the  reverses  or  successes  that  marked  this  period  of 
our  histor3\  Monsieur  Ragon,  formerly  perfumer  to 
her  majesty  Queen  Marie- Antoinette,  confided  to  Cesar 
Birotteau,  during  this  critical  period,  his  attachment  to 
the  fallen  t3Tants.  This  disclosure  was  one  of  the 
cardinal  events  in  Cesar's  life.  The  nightly  conversa- 
tions when  the  shop  was  closed,  the  street  quiet,  the 
accounts  regulated,  made  a  fanatic  of  the  Tourangian, 
who  in  becoming  a  royalist  obej'ed  an  inborn  instinct. 
The  recital  of  the  virtuous  deeds  of  Louis  XVI., 
the  anecdotes  with  which  husband  and  wife  exalted 
the  memory  of  the  queen,  fired  the  imagination  of  the 
3'oung  man.  The  horrible  fate  of  those  two  crowned 
heads,  decapitated  a  few  steps  from  the  shop-door, 
Toused  his  feeling  heart  and  made  him  hate  a  S3stem  of 
government  which  was  capable  of  shedding  blood  with- 
out repugnance.  His  commercial  interests  showed  him 
the  death  of  trade  in  the  Maximum,  and  in  political 
convulsions,  which  are  alwa3's  destructive  of  business. 
Moreover,  like  a  true  perfumer,  he  hated  the  revolution 
which  made  a  Titus  of  ever3'  man  and  abolished  powder. 
The  tranquillity  resulting  from  absolutism  could  alone, 
he  thought,  give  life  to  mone3',  and  he  grew  bigoted  on 
behalf  of  ro3'alty.  "When  Monsieur  Ragon  saw  that 
Cesar  was  well  disposed  on  this  point,  he  made  him  head- 


CSmr  Birotteau.  81 

clerk  and  initiated  him  into  the  secrets  of  "  The  Queen 
of  Roses,"  several  of  whose  customers  were  the  most 
active  and  devoted  emissaries  of  the  Bourbons,  and 
where  the  correspondence  between  Paris  and  the  West 
secretly  went  on.  Carried  away  by  the  fervor  of 
youth,  electrified  by  his  intercourse  with  the  Georges, 
the  Billardiere,  Montauran,  Bauvan,  Longu}',  Manda, 
Bernier,  du  Guenic,  and  the  Fontaines,  Cesar  flung 
himself  into  the  conspiracy  b}'  which  the  royalists  and 
the  terrorists  combined  on  the  13th  Vendemiaire  against 
the  expiring  Convention. 

On  that  day  Cesar  had  the  honor  of  fighting  against 
Napoleon  on  the  steps  of  Saint- Roch,  and  was  wounded 
at  the  beginning  of  the  affair.  Every  one  knows  the  re- 
sult of  that  attempt.  If  the  aide-de-camp  of  Barras 
then  issued  from  his  obscurity,  the  obscuritj'  of  Birotteau 
saved  the  clerk's  life.  A  few  friends  carried  the  bellig- 
erent perfumer  to  "  The  Queen  of  Roses,"  where  he  re- 
mained hidden  in  the  garret,  nursed  by  Madame  Ragon, 
and  happily  forgotten.  C^sar  Birotteau  never  had  but 
that  one  spirt  of  martial  courage.  During  the  month 
his  convalescence  lasted,  he  made  solid  reflections  on  the 
absurdity  of  an  alliance  between  politics  and  perfumery. 
Although  he  remained  royalist,  he  resolved  to  be,  purely 
and  simply,  a  ro^'alist  perfumer,  and  never  more  to 
compromise  himself,  body  and  soul,  for  his  country. 

On  the  18th  Brumaire,  Monsieur  and  Madame  Ragon, 
despairing  of  the  royal  cause,  determined  to  give  up 
perfumery,  and  live  like  honest  bourgeois  without  med- 
dling in  politics.  To  recover  the  value  of  their  business, 
it  was  necessary  to  find  a  man  who  had  more  integrity 
than  ambitioU)  more  plain  good  sense  than  ability. 


32  CSsar  Birotteau. 

Ragon  proposed  the  aflfair  to  his  head-clerk.  Birotteau, 
now  master  at  twenty  years  of  age  of  a  thousand  francs 
a  year  from  the  public  Funds,  hesitated.  His  ambition 
was  to  live  near  Chinon  as  soon  as  he  could  get  together 
an  income  of  fifteen  hundred  francs,  or  whenever  the 
First  Consul  should  have  consolidated  the  public  debt  by 
consolidating  himself  in  the  Tuileries.  Why  should  he 
risk  his  honest  and  simple  independence  in  commer- 
cial uncertainties?  he  asked  himself.  He  had  never 
expected  to  win  so  large  a  fortune,  and  he  owed  it  to 
happy  chances  which  only  came  in  early  3'outh  ;  he  in- 
tended to  marry  ia  Touraine  some  woman  rich  enough 
to  enable  him  to  buy  and  cultivate  Les  Tresorieres,  a 
little  property  which,  from  the  dawn  of  his  reason,  he 
had  coveted,  which  he  dreamed  of  augmenting,  where 
he  could  make  a  thousand  crowns  a  year,  and  where  he 
would  lead  a  life  of  happy  obscurity.  He  was  about  to 
refuse  the  offer,  when  love  suddenly  changed  all  his 
resolutions  by  increasing  tenfold  the  measure  of  his 
ambition. 

After  Ursula's  desertion,  Cesar  had  remained  virtu- 
ous, as  much  through  fear  of  the  dangers  of  Paris  as 
from  application  to  his  work.  When  the  passions  are 
without  food  they  change  their  wants ;  marriage  then 
becomes,  to  persons  of  the  middle  class,  a  fixed  idea, 
for  it  is  their  only  way  of  winning  and  appropriating 
a  woman.  Cesar  Birotteau  had  reached  that  point. 
Everything  at  "  The  Queen  of  Roses  "  now  rested  on  the 
head-clerk ;  he  had  not  a  moment  to  give  to  pleasure. 
In  such  a  life  wants  become  imperious,  and  a  chance 
meeting  with  a  beautiful  j'oung  woman,  of  whom  a  liber- 
tine clerk  would  scarcely  have  dreamed,  produced  on 


CSsar  Birotteau.  33 

C^sar  an  overpowering  effect.  On  a  fine  June  day, 
crossing  hy  the  Pont-Marie  to  the  lie  Saint-Louis,  he 
saw  a  3'oung  girl  standing  at  the  door  of  a  shop  at  the 
angle  of  the  Quai  d'Anjou.  Constance  Pillerault  was  the 
forewoman  of  a  linen-draper's  establishment  called  Le 
Petit  Matelot, —  the  first  of  those  shops  which  have  since 
been  established  in  Paris  with  more  or  less  of  painted 
signs,  floating  banners,  show-cases  filled  with  swinging 
shawls,  cravats  arranged  like  houses  of  cards,  and  a 
thousand  other  commercial  seductions,  such  as  fixed 
prices,  fillets  of  suspended  objects,  placards,  illusions 
and  optical  effects  carried  to  such  a  degree  of  perfection 
that  a  shop-front  has  now  become  a  commercial  poem. 
The  low  price  of  all  the  articles  called  "Novelties" 
which  were  to  be  found  at  the  Petit-Matelot  gave  the 
shop  an  unheard  of  vogue,  and  that  in  a  part  of  Paris 
which  was  the  least  favorable  to  fashion  and  commerce. 
The  young  forewoman  was  at  this  time  cited  for  her 
beaut}^,  as  was  the  case  in  later  daA's  with  the  beautiful 
lemonade-giii  of  the  cafe  of  the  Milles  Colonnes,  and 
several  other  poor  creatures  who  flattened  more  noses, 
young  and  old,  against  the  window-panes  of  milliners, 
confectioners,  and  linen-drapers,  than  there  are  stones 
in  the  streets  of  Paris. 

The  head-clerk  of  "  The  Queen  of  Roses,"  living  be- 
tween Saint-Roch  and  the  Rue  de  la  Sourdiere,  knew 
nothing  of  the  existence  of  the  Petit-Matelot ;  for  the 
smaller  trades  of  Paris  are  more  or  less  strangers  to 
each  other.  C^sar  was  so  vigorously  smitten  by  the 
beauty  of  Constance  that  he  rushed  furious]}'  into  the 
shop  to  buy  six  linen  shirts,  disputing  the  price  a  long 
time,  and  requiring  volumes  of  linen  to  be  unfolded 

3 


34  C6%ar  Birotteau. 

and  shown  to  him,  precisely  like  an  Englishwoman  in  the 
humor  for  "shopping."  The  young  person  deigned  to 
take  notice  of  Cesar,  perceiving,  bj'  certain  symptoms 
known  to  women,  that  he  came  more  for  the  seller  than 
the  goods.  He  dictated  his  name  and  address  to  the 
young  lady,  who  grew  very  indifferent  to  the  admira- 
tion of  her  customer  so  soon  as  the  purchase  was  made. 
The  poor  clerk  had  had  little  to  do  to  win  the  good 
graces  of  Ursula ;  in  such  matters  he  was  as  silly  as 
a  sheep,  and  love  now  made  him  sillier.  He  dared  not 
utter  a  word,  and  was  moreover  too  dazzled  to  observe 
the  indifference  which  succeeded  the  smiles  of  the  syren 
shopwoman. 

For  eight  succeeding  daj's  Cesar  mounted  guard  every 
evening  before  the  Petit-Matelot,  watching  for  a  look 
as  a  dog  waits  for  a  bone  at  the  kitchen  door,  indifferent 
to  the  derision  of  the  clerks  and  the  shop-girls,  humbly 
stepping  aside  for  the  buyers  and  passers-by,  and  ab- 
sorbed in  the  little  revolving  world  of  the  shop.  Some 
days  later  he  again  entered  the  paradise  of  his  angel, 
less  to  purchase  handkerchiefs  than  to  communicate  to 
her  a  luminous  idea. 

"If  3'ou  should  have  need  of  perfumery,  Mademoi- 
selle, I  could  furnish  you  in  the  same  manner,"  he  said 
as  he  paid  for  the  handkerchiefs. 

Constance  Pillerault  was  daily  receiving  brilliant  pro- 
posals, in  which  there  was  no  question  of  marriage  ;  and 
though  her  heart  was  as  pure  as  her  forehead  was  white, 
it  was  only  after  six  months  of  marches  and  counter- 
marches, in  the  course  of  which  Cesar  revealed  his  inex- 
tinguishable love,  that  she  condescended  to  receive  his 
attentions,  and  even  then  without  committing  herself  to 


C4»ar  Birotteau.  35 

an  answer,  —  a  prudence  suggested  by  the  number  of  her 
swains,  wholesale  wine-merchants,  rich  proprietors  of 
cafes,  and  others  who  made  soft  eyes  at  her.  The  lover 
was  backed  up  in  his  suit  by  the  guardian  of  Constance, 
Monsieur  Claude-Joseph  Pillerault,  at  that  time  an 
ironmonger  on  the  Quai  de  la  Ferraille,  whom  the 
young  man  had  finally  discovered  by  devoting  himself 
to  the  subterraneous  spying  which  distinguishes  a 
genuine  love. 

The  rapidity  of  this  naiTative  compels  us  to  pass  over 
in  silence  the  jo5's  of  Parisian  love  tasted  with  inno- 
cence, the  prodigalities  peculiar  to  clerkdom,  such  as 
melons  in  their  earliest  prime,  choice  dinners  at  Venua's 
followed  by  the  theatre,  Sunday  jaunts  to  the  country 
in  hackney-coaches.  Without  being  handsome,  there 
was  nothing  in  Cesar's  person  which  made  it  difficult  to 
love  him.  The  life  of  Paris  and  his  sojourn  in  a  dark 
shop  had  dulled  the  brightness  of  his  peasant  com- 
plexion. His  abundant  black  hair,  his  solid  neck  and 
shoulders  like  those  of  a  Norman  horse,  his  sturdy 
limbs,  his  honest  and  straightforward  manner,  all  con- 
tributed to  predispose  others  in  his  favor.  The  uncle 
Pillerault,  whose  duty  it  was  to  watch  over  the  happi- 
ness of  his  brother's  daughter,  made  inquiries  which 
resulted  in  his  sanctioning  the  wishes  of  the  young 
Tourangian.  In  the  year  1800,  and  in  the  pretty  month 
of  May,  Mademoiselle  PiUerault  consented  to  marry 
Cesar  Birotteau,  who  fainted  with  jo}'  at  the  moment 
when,  under  a  linden  at  Sceaux,  Constance-Barbe- 
Josephine  Pillerault  accepted  him  as  her  husband. 

"My  little  girl,"  said  Monsieur  Pillerault,  "you 
have  won  a  good  husband.     He  has  a  warm  heart  and 


36  CSsar  Birotteau. 

honorable  feelings ;  he  is  trae  as  gold,  and  as  good  as 
an  infant  Jesus,  —  in  fact,  a  king  of  men." 

Constance  frankly  abdicated  the  more  brilliant  des- 
tiny to  which,  like  all  shop-girls,  she  may  at  times  have 
aspired.  She  wished  to  be  an  honest  woman,  a  good 
mother  of  a  family,  and  looked  at  life  according  to  the 
religious  programme  of  the  middle  classes.  Such  a 
career  suited  her  own  ideas  far  better  than  the  danger- 
ous vanities  which  seduce  so  many  youthful  Parisian 
imaginations.  Constance,  with  her  narrow  intelligence, 
was  a  type  of  the  petty  bourgeoisie  whose  labors  are  not 
performed  without  grumbling ;  who  begin  by  refusing 
what  they  desire,  and  end  by  getting  angry  when  taken 
at  their  word ;  whose  restless  activitj-  is  carried  into  the 
kitchen  and  into  the  counting-room,  into  the  gravest 
matters  of  business,  and  into  the  invisible  darns  of  the 
household  linen ;  who  love  while  scolding,  who  conceive 
no  ideas  but  the  simplest  (the  small  change  of  the 
mind) ;  who  argue  about  everything,  fear  everything, 
calculate  everything,  and  fret  perpetually  over  the 
future.  Her  cold  but  ingenuous  beauty,  her  touching 
expression,  her  freshness  and  purity,  prevented  Birot- 
teau from  thinking  of  defects,  which  moreover  were 
more  than  compensated  by  a  delicate  sense  of  honor 
natural  to  women,  by  an  excessive  love  of  order,  by 
a  fanaticism  for  work,  and  by  her  genius  as  a  sales- 
woman. Constance  was  eighteen  j'ears  old,  and  pos- 
sessed eleven  thousand  francs  of  her  own.  C^sar, 
inspired  by  his  love  with  an  excessive  ambition,  bought 
the  business  of  "The  Queen  of  Roses"  and  removed  it 
to  a  handsome  building  near  the  Place  Vend6me.  At 
the  early  age  of  twenty-one,  married  to  a  woman  he 


C4%ar  Birotteau.  37 

adored,  the  proprietor  of  an  establishment  for  which 
he  had  paid  three  quarters  of  the  price  down,  he  had 
the  right  to  view,  and  did  view,  the  future  in  glowing 
colors ;  all  the  more  when  he  measured  the  path  which 
led  from  his  original  point  of  departure.  Roguin, 
notary  of  Ragon,  who  had  drawn  up  the  marriage  con- 
tract, gave  the  new  perfumer  some  sound  advice,  and 
prevented  him  from  paying  the  whole  purchase  money 
down  with  the  fortune  of  his  wife. 

"  Keep  the  means  of  undertaking  some  good  enter- 
prise, my  lad,"  he  had  said  to  him. 

Birotteau  looked  up  to  the  notary  with  admiration, 
fell  into  the  habit  of  consulting  him,  and  made  him  his 
friend.  Like  Ragon  and  Pillerault,  he  had  so  much 
faith  in  the  profession  that  he  gave  himself  up  to  Roguin 
without  allowing  himself  a  suspicion.  Thanks  to  this 
advice,  C^sar,  supplied  with  the  eleven  thousand  francs 
of  his  wife  for  his  start  in  business,  would  have  scorned 
to  exchange  his  possessions  for  those  of  the  First  Con- 
sul, brilliant  as  the  prospects  of  Napoleon  might  seem. 
At  first  the  Birotteaus  kept  only  a  cook,  and  lived  in 
the  entresol  above  the  shop,  —  a  sort  of  den  tolerably 
well  decorated  hj  an  upholsterer,  where  the  bride  and 
bridegroom  began  a  honeymoon  that  was  never  to  end. 
Madame  Cesar  appeared  to  advantage  behind  the  coun- 
ter. Her  celebrated  beaut}'  had  an  enormous  influence 
upon  the  sales,  and  the  beautiful  Madame  Birotteau  be- 
came a  topic  among  the  fashionable  young  men  of  the 
Empire.  If  Cesar  was  sometimes  accused  of  royalism, 
the  world  did  justice  to  his  honesty ;  if  a  few  neigh- 
boring shopkeepers  envied  his  happiness,  every  one  at 
least  thought  him  worthy  of  it.    The  bullet  which  struck 


88  CSsar  Birotteau, 

him  on  the  steps  of  Saint-Roch  gave  him  the  reputation 
of  being  mixed  up  with  political  secrets,  and  also  of 
being  a  courageous  man,  —  though  he  had  no  military 
courage  in  his  heart,  and  not  the  smallest  political  idea 
in  his  brain.  Upon  these  grounds  the  worthy  people  of 
the  arrondissement  made  him  captain  of  the  National 
Guard ;  but  he  was  cashiered  by  Napoleon,  who,  accord- 
ing to  Birotteau,  owed  him  a  grudge  for  their  encounter 
on  the  13th  Vend6miaire.  C^sar  thus  obtained  at  a 
cheap  rate  a  varnish  of  persecution,  which  made  him 
interesting  in  the  eyes  of  the  opposition,  and  gave  him 
a  certain  importance. 

Such  was  the  history  of  this  household,  lastingly 
happy  through  its  feelings,  and  agitated  only  by  com- 
mercial anxieties. 

During  the  first  year  C^sar  instructed  his  wife  about 
the  sales  of  their  merchandise  and  the  details  of  perfu- 
mery, —  a  business  which  she  understood  admirably. 
She  really  seemed  to  have  been  created  and  sent  into 
the  world  to  fit  on  the  gloves  of  customers.  At  the 
close  of  that  year  the  assets  staggered  our  ambitious 
perfumer ;  all  costs  calculated,  he  would  be  able  in  less 
than  twenty  years  to  make  a  modest  capital  of  one  hun- 
dred thousand  francs,  which  was  the  sum  at  which  he 
estimated  their  happiness.  He  then  resolved  to  reach 
fortune  more  rapidly,  and  determined  to  manufacture 
articles  as  well  as  retail  them.  Contrary  to  the  advice 
of  his  wife,  he  hired  some  sheds,  with  the  ground  about 
them,  in  the  Faubourg  du  Temple,  and  painted  upon 
them  in  big  letters,  *'  Manufactory  of  Cesar  Birotteau." 
He  enticed  a  skilful  workman  from  Grasse,  with  whom 


CSsar  Birotteau.  89 

he  began,  on  equal  shares,  the  manufacture  of  soaps, 
essences,  and  eau-de-cologne.  His  connection  with  this 
man  lasted  only  six  months,  and  ended  by  losses  which 
fell  upon  him  alone.  Without  allowing  himself  to  be 
discouraged,  Birotteau  determined  to  get  better  results 
at  any  price,  solely  to  avoid  being  scolded  by  his 
wife,  —  to  whom  he  acknowledged  later  tliat  in  those 
depressing  days  his  head  had  boiled  like  a  saucepan, 
and  that  several  times,  if  it  had  not  been  for  his  re- 
ligious sentiments,  he  should  have  flung  himself  into 
the  Seine. 

Harassed  by  some  unprofitable  enterprise,  he  was 
lounging  one  day  along  the  boulevard  on  his  way  to 
dinner,  —  for  the  Parisian  lounger  is  as  often  a  man 
filled  with  despair  as  an  idler,  —  when  among  a  parcel 
of  books  for  six  sous  a-piece,  laid  out  in  a  hamper  on 
the  pavement,  his  eyes  lighted  on  the  following  title, 
yellow  with  dust :  "  Abdeker,  or  the  Art  of  Preserving 
Beauty."  He  picked  up  the  so-called  Arab  book,  a 
sort  of  romance  written  by  a  physician  of  the  preced- 
ing centur}',  and  happened  on  a  page  which  related  to 
perfumes.  Leaning  against  a  tree  on  the  boulevard  to 
turn  over  the  leaves  at  his  ease,  he  read  a  note  bj'  the 
author  which  explained  the  nature  of  the  skin  and  the 
cuticle,  and  showed  that  a  certain  soap,  or  a  certain 
paste,  often  produced  effects  quite  contrary  to  those  ex- 
pected of  them,  if  the  soap  and  the  paste  toned  up  a  skin 
which  needed  relaxing,  or  relaxed  a  skin  which  required 
tonics.  Birotteau  bought  the  book,  in  which  he  saw 
his  fortune.  Nevertheless,  having  little  confidence  in 
his  own  Ughts,  he  consulted  a  celebrated  chemist,  Vau- 
quelin,  from  whom  he  naively  inquired  how  to  mix  a 


40  Ci%aT  Birotteau, 

two-sided  cosmetic  which  should  produce  effects  appro- 
priate to  the  diversified  nature  of  the  human  epidermis. 
Truly  scientific  men  —  men  who  are  really  great  in  the 
sense  that  they  never  attain  in  their  lifetime  the  renown 
which  their  immense  and  unrecognized  labors  deserve  — 
are  nearly  always  kind,  and  willing  to  serve  the  poor  in 
spirit.  Vauquelin  accordingly  patronized  the  perfumer, 
and  allowed  him  to  call  himself  the  inventor  of  a  paste 
to  whiten  the  hands,  the  composition  of  which  he  dic- 
tated to  him.  Birotteau  named  this  cosmetic  the  "  Double 
Paste  of  Sultans."  To  complete  the  work,  he  applied 
the  same  recipe  to  the  manufacture  of  a  lotion  for  the 
complexion,  which  he  called  the  "  Carminative  Balm." 
He  imitated  in  his  own  line  the  system  of  the  Petit- 
Matelot,  and  was  the  first  perfumer  to  display  that 
redundancy  of  placards,  advertisements,  and  other 
methods  of  publication  which  are  called,  perhaps  un- 
justly, charlatanism. 

The  Paste  of  Sultans  and  the  Carminative  Balm  were 
ushered  into  the  world  of  fashion  and  commerce  by 
colored  placards,  at  the  head  of  which  were  these 
words,  "  Approved  by  the  Institute."  This  formula, 
used  for  the  first  time,  had  a  magical  effect.  Not  only 
all  France,  but  the  continent  flaunted  with  the  posters, 
yellow,  red,  and  blue,  of  the  monarch  of  "The  Queen 
of  Roses,"  who  kept  in  stock,  supplied,  and  manufac- 
tured, at  moderate  prices,  all  that  belonged  to  his  trade. 
At  a  period  when  nothing  was  talked  of  but  the  East, 
to  name  any  soil;  of  cosmetic  the  "  Paste  of  Sultans," 
thus  divining  the  magic  force  of  such  words  in  a  land 
where  every  man  hoped  to  be  a  sultan  as  much  as  every 
woman  longed  to  be  a  sultana,  was  an  inspiration  which 


CSsar  Birotteau.  41 

could  only  have  come  to  a  common  man  or  a  man  of 
genius.  The  public  always  judges  by  results.  Birot- 
teau passed  for  a  superior  man,  commercially  speaking  ; 
all  the  more  because  he  compiled  a  prospectus  whose 
ridiculous  phraseology  was  an  element  of  success.  In 
France  they  only  make  fun  of  things  which  occupy  the 
public  mind,  and  the  public  does  not  occupy  itself  with 
things  that  do  not  succeed.  Though  Birotteau  perpe- 
trated this  folly  in  good  faith  and  not  as  a  trick,  the 
world  gave  him  credit  for  knowing  how  to  play  the  fool 
for  a  purpose.  We  have  found,  not  without  difficulty,  a 
copy  of  this  prospectus  at  the  establishment  of  Popinot 
&  Co.,  druggists.  Rue  des  Lombards.  This  curious 
document  belongs  to  the  class  which,  in  a  higher  sphere, 
historians  csiil  pieces  Justijicatives.    We  give  it  here : 

THE  DOUBLE  PASTE  OF  SULTANS 
AND  CARMINATIVE  BALM 

Of    Ci:sAB    Bibotteau. 

MARVELLOUS    DISCOVERY! 

Approved  by  the  Institute  of  France. 

"  For  many  years  a  paste  for  the  hands  and  a  lotion  for 
the  face  offering  superior  results  to  those  obtained  from  Eau- 
de-Cologne  in  the  domain  of  the  toilet,  has  been  widely 
sought  by  both  sexes  in  Europe.  Devoting  long  vigils  to 
the  study  of  the  skin  and  cuticle  of  the  two  sexes,  each 
of  whom,  one  as  much  as  the  other,  attach  the  utmost  im- 
portance to  the  softness,  suppleness,  brilliancy,  and  velvet 
texture  of  the  complexion,  the  Sieur  Birotteau,  perfumer, 
favorably  known  in  this  metropolis  and  abroad,  has  dis- 
covered a  Paste  and  a  Lotion  justly  hailed  as  marvellous 


42  Ci»ar  Birotteau. 

by  the  fashion  and  elegance  of  Paris.  In  point  of  fact,  this 
Paste  and  this  Lotion  possess  amazing  properties  which  act 
upon  the  skin  without  prematurely  wrinkling  it,  —  the  in- 
evitable result  of  drugs  thoughtlessly  employed,  and  sold 
in  these  days  by  ignorance  and  cupidity.  This  discovery 
rests  upon  diversities  of  temperament,  which  divide  them- 
selves into  two  great  classes,  indicated  by  the  color  of  the 
Paste  and  the  Lotion,  which  will  be  found  pink  for  the  skin 
and  cuticle  of  persons  of  lymphatic  habit,  and  white  for  those 
possessed  of  a  sanguine  temperament. 

"  This  Paste  is  named  the  '  Paste  of  Sultans,'  because  the 
discovery  was  originally  made  for  the  Seraglio  by  an  Arabian 
physician.  It  has  been  approved  by  the  Institute  on  the 
recommendation  of  our  illustrious  chemist,  Vauquelin;  to- 
gether with  the  Lotion,  fabricated  on  the  same  principles 
which  govern  the  composition  of  the  Paste. 

"  This  precious  Paste,  exhaling  as  it  does  the  sweetest 
perfumes,  removes  all  blotches,  even  those  that  are  obsti- 
nately rebellious,  whitens  the  most  recalcitrant  epidermis, 
and  dissipates  the  perspirations  of  the  hand,  of  which  both 
sexes  equally  complain. 

"  The  Carminative  Balm  will  disperse  the  little  pimples 
which  appear  inopportunely  at  certain  times,  and  interfere 
with  a  lady's  projects  for  a  ball;  it  refreshes  and  revives 
the  color  by  opening  or  shutting  the  pores  of  the  skin  accord- 
ing to  the  exigencies  of  the  individual  temperament.  It  is 
so  well  known  already  for  its  effect  in  arresting  the  ravages 
of  time  that  many,  out  of  gratitude,  have  called  it  the 
'  Friend  of  Beauty.' 

*'  Eau-de-Cologne  is,  purely  and  simply,  a  trivial  perfume 
without  special  efficacy  of  any  kind ;  while  the  Double  Paste 
of  Sultans  and  the  Carminative  Balm  are  two  operative  com- 
pounds, of  a  motive  power  which  acts  without  risk  upon  the 
internal  energies  and  seconds  them.  Their  perfumes  (essen- 
tially balsamic,  and  of  a  stimulating  character  which  admir- 
ably revives  the  heart  and  brain)  awake  ideas  and  vivify 


CSsar  Birotteau.  43 

them ;  they  are  as  wonderful  for  their  simplicity  as  for  their 
merits.  In  short,  they  offer  one  attraction  the  more  to  wo- 
men, and  to  men  a  means  of  seduction  which  it  is  within 
their  power  to  secure. 

"  The  daily  use  of  the  Balm  will  relieve  the  smart  occa- 
sioned by  the  heat  of  the  razor;  it  will  protect  the  lips  from 
chapping,  and  restore  their  color ;  it  dispels  in  time  all  dis- 
colorations,  and  revives  the  natural  tones  of  the  skin.  Such 
results  demonstrate  in  man  a  perfect  equilibrium  of  the 
juices  of  life,  which  tends  to  relieve  all  persons  subject  to 
headache  from  the  sufferings  of  that  horrible  malady. 
Finally,  the  Carminative  Balm,  which  can  be  employed  by 
women  in  all  stages  of  their  toilet,  will  prevent  cutaneous 
diseases  by  facilitating  the  transpiration  of  the  tissues,  and 
communicating  to  them  a  permanent  texture  like  that  of 
velvet. ' 

"  Address,  post-paid,  Monsieur  Cesar  Birotteau,  successor 
to  Ragon,  former  perfumer  to  the  Queen  Marie  Antoinette, 
at  The  Queen  of  Roses,  Rue  Saint-Honord,  Paris,  near  the 
Place  Vendome. 

"  The  price  of  a  cake  of  Paste  is  three  francs;  that  of  the 
bottle  six  francs. 

"  Monsieur  Cesar  Birotteau,  to  avoid  counterfeits,  informs  the 
public  that  the  Paste  is  wrapped  in  paper  bearing  liis  signature, 
and  that  the  bottles  have  a  stamp  blown  in  the  glass." 

The  success  was  owing,  without  Cesar's  suspecting 
it,  to  Constance,  who  advised  him  to  send  cases  of  the 
Carminative  Balm  and  the  Paste  of  Sultans  to  all  per- 
fumers in  France  and  in  foreign  cities,  offering  them  at 
the  same  time  a  discount  of  thirty  per  cent  if  they 
would  buy  the  two  articles  by  the  gross.  The  Paste 
and  the  Balm  were,  in  reality',  worth  more  than  other 
cosmetics  of  the  sort;  and  they  captivated  ignorant 


44  CSsar  Birotteau. 

people  by  the  distinctions  they  set  up  among  the  tem- 
peraments. The  five  hundred  perfumers  of  France, 
allured  b}^  the  discount,  each  bought  annually  from 
Birotteau  more  than  three  hundred  gross  of  the  Paste 
and  the  Lotion,  —  a  consumption  which,  if  it  gave  only 
a  limited  profit  on  each  article,  became  enormous  con- 
sidered in  bulk.  Cesar  was  then  able  to  buy  the  huts 
and  the  land  in  the  Faubourg  du  Temple  ;  he  built  large 
manufactories,  and  decorated  his  shop  at  "  The  Queen  of 
Roses"  with  much  magnificence ;  his  household  began 
to  taste  the  little  joys  of  competence,  and  his  wife  no 
longer  trembled  as  before. 

In  1810  Madame  C^sar,  foreseeing  a  rise  in  rents, 
pushed  her  husband  into  becoming  chief  tenant  of  the 
house  where  they  had  hitherto  occupied  onl3'  the  shop 
and  the  entresol,  and  advised  him  to  remove  their  own 
appartement  to  the  first  floor.  A  fortunate  event  in- 
duced Constance  to  shut  her  eyes  to  the  follies  which 
Birotteau  committed  for  her  sake  in  fitting  up  the  new 
appartement.  The  perfumer  had  just  been  elected 
judge  in  the  commercial  courts :  his  integrity,  his  well- 
known  sense  of  honor,  and  the  respect  he  enjoyed, 
earned  for  him  this  dignit}'^,  which  ranked  him  hence- 
forth among  the  leading  merchants  of  Paris.  To  im- 
prove his  knowledge,  he  rose  daily  at  five  o'clock,  and 
read  law-reports  and  books  treating  of  commercial 
litigation.  His  sense  of  justice,  his  rectitude,  his  con- 
scientious intentions,  —  qualities  essential  to  the  under- 
standing of  questions  submitted  for  consular  decision, 
—  soon  made  him  highly  esteemed  among  the  judges. 
His  defects  contributed  not  a  little  to  his  reputation. 
Conscious  of  his  inferiority,   Cesar  subordinated  his 


CSsar  Birotteau.  45 

own  views  to  those  of  his  colleagues,  who  were  flat- 
tered in  being  thus  deferred  to.  Some  sought  the 
silent  approbation  of  a  man  held  to  be  sagacious, 
in  his  capacity  of  listener ;  others,  charmed  with  his 
modesty  and  gentleness,  praised  him  publicly.  Plain- 
tiffs and  defendants  extolled  his  kindness,  his  con- 
ciliator}' spirit ;  and  he  was  often  chosen  umpire  in  con- 
tests where  his  own  good  sense  would  have  suggested 
the  swift  justice  of  a  Turkish  cadi.  During  his  whole 
period  in  office  he  contrived  to  use  language  which  was 
a  medley  of  commonplaces  mixed  with  maxims  and  com- 
putations served  up  in  flowing  phrases  mildly  put  forth, 
which  sounded  to  the  ears  of  superficial  people  like  elo- 
quence. Thus  he  pleased  that  great  majority,  mediocre 
by  nature,  who  are  condemned  to  perpetual  labor  and 
to  views  which  are  of  the  earth  earth}-.  Cesar,  how- 
ever, lost  so  much  time  in  court  that  his  wife  obliged 
him  finall}"^  to  resign  the  expensive  dignity. 

Towards  1813,  the  Birotteau  household,  thanks  to 
its  constant  harmonj',  and  after  steadily  plodding  on 
through  life,  saw  the  dawn  of  an  era  of  prosperity 
which  nothing  seemed  likely  to  interrupt.  Monsieur 
and  Madame  Ragon,  their  predecessors,  the  uncle  Pille- 
rault,  Roguin  the  notar}^,  the  Messrs.  Matifat,  drug- 
gists in  the  Rue  des  Lombards  and  purve3'ors  to  "The 
Queen  of  Roses,"  Joseph  Lebas,  woollen  draper  and 
successor  to  the  Messrs.  Guillaume  at  the  Maison  du 
Chat-qui-pelote  (one  of  the  luminaries  of  the  Rue  Saint- 
Denis),  Popinot  the  judge,  brother  of  Madame  Ragon, 
Chiffl-eville  of  the  firm  of  Protez  &  ChiflTreville,  Mon- 
sieur and  Madame  Cochin,  employed  in  the  treasur}' 
department    and  sleeping    partners  in  the   house   of 


46  CSsar  Birotteau. 

Matifat,  the  Abb^  Loraux,  confessor  and  director  of  the 
pious  members  of  this  coterie,  with  a  few  other  persons, 
made  up  the  circle  of  their  friends.  In  spite  of  the 
royalist  sentiments  of  Birotteau,  public  opinion  was  in 
his  favor ;  he  was  considered  very  rich,  though  in  fact 
he  possessed  only  a  hundred  thousand  francs  over  and 
above  his  business.  The  regularity  of  his  affairs,  his 
punctuality^,  his  habit  of  making  no  debts,  of  never 
discounting  his  paper,  and  of  taking,  on  the  contrary, 
safe  securities  from  those  whom  he  could  thus  oblige, 
together  with  his  general  amiability,  won  him  enor- 
mous credit.  His  household  cost  him  nearly  twenty 
thousand  francs  a  year,  and  the  education  of  Cesarine, 
an  onl}"^  daughter,  idolized  b}'  Constance  as  well  as  by 
himself,  necessitated  heavy  expenses.  Neither  husband 
nor  wife  considered  money  when  it  was  a  qi^estion  of 
giving  pleasure  to  their  child,  from  whom  they  had 
never  been  willing  to  separate.  Imagine  the  happi- 
ness of  the  poor  parvenu  peasant  as  he  listened  to  his 
charming  Cesarine  playing  a  sonata  of  Steibelt's  on 
the  piano,  and  singing  a  ballad  ;  or  when  he  found  her 
writing  the  French  language  correctl}',  or  reading  Ra- 
cine, father  and  son,  and  explaining  their  beauties,  or 
sketching  a  landscape,  or  painting  in  sepia!  What  joy 
to  live  again  in  a  flower  so  pure,  so  lovely,  which  had 
never  left  the  maternal  stem  ;  an  angel  whose  budding 
graces  and  whose  earliest  developments  he  had  passion- 
ately watched ;  an  only  daughter,  incapable  of  despis- 
ing her  father,  or  of  ridiculing  his  defective  education, 
so  truly  was  she  an  ingenuous  young  girl. 

When  he  first  came  to  Paris,  Cesar  had  known  how 
to  read,  write,  and  cipher,  but  his  education  stopped 


CSsar  Birotteau.  47 

there ;  his  laborious  life  had  kept  him  from  acquiring 
ideas  and  knowledge  outside  the  business  of  perfumery. 
Mixing  wholly  with  people  to  whom  science  and  letters 
were  of  no  importance,  and  whose  information  did  not 
go  beyond  their  specialty,  having  no  time  to  give  to 
higher  studies,  the  perfumer  had  become  a  merely 
practical  man.  He  adopted  necessarily  the  language, 
blunders,  and  opinions  of  the  bourgeois  of  Paris,  who 
admires  MoUere,  Voltaire,  and  Rousseau  on  faith,  and 
bu3"s  their  books  without  ever  reading  them ;  who 
maintaius  that  people  should  say  ormoires,  because 
women  put  away  their  gold  and  their  dresses  of  moire 
in  those  articles  of  furniture,  and  that  it  is  only  a 
corruption  of  the  language  to  say  armoires.  Potier, 
Talma,  and  Mademoiselle  Mars  were  ten  times  million- 
naires,  and  did  not  live  like  other  human  beings ;  the 
great  tragedian  ate  raw  meat,  and  Mademoiselle  Mars 
sometimes  drank  dissolved  pearls,  in  imitation  of  a 
celebrated  Egj-ptian  actress.  The  Emperor  had  leather 
pockets  in  his  waistcoat,  so  that  he  could  take  his  snuff 
by  the  handful ;  he  rode  on  horseback  at  full  gallop  up 
the  stairway  of  the  orangerj'  at  Versailles.  Writers 
and  artists  died  in  the  hospital,  as  a  natural  conse- 
quence of  their  eccentricities  ;  they  were,  moreover,  all 
atheists,  and  people  should  be  very  careful  not  to  admit 
them  into  their  households.  Joseph  Lebas  cited  with 
horror  the  history  of  his  step-sister  Augustine's  mar- 
riage with  the  painter  Sommervieux.  Astronomers 
lived  on  spiders. 

These  striking  points  of  information  on  the  French 
language,  on  dramatic  art,  politics,  literature,  and  sci- 
ence, will  explain  the  bearings  of  the  bourgeois  intellect. 


48  CSsar  Birotteau. 

A  poet  passing  through  the  Rue  des  Lombards  may 
dream  of  Araby  as  he  inhales  certain  perfumes.  He 
may  admire  the  danseuses  in  a  chauderie,  as  he  breathes 
the  odors  of  an  Indian  root.  Dazzled  by  the  blaze  of 
cochineal,  he  recalls  the  poems  of  the  Veda,  the  reli- 
gion of  Brahma  and  its  castes  ;  brushing  against  piles 
of  ivory  in  the  rough,  he  mounts  the  backs  of  elephants  ; 
seated  in  a  muslin  cage,  he  makes  love  like  the  King 
of  Lahore.  But  the  little  retail  merchant  is  ignorant 
from  whence  have  come,  or  where  may  grow,  the  pro- 
ducts in  which  he  deals.  Birotteau,  perfumer,  did  not 
know  an  iota  of  natural  history,  nor  of  chemistry. 
Though  regarding  Vauquelin  as  a  great  man,  he  thought 
him  an  exception, — of  about  the  same  capacity  as  the 
retired  grocer  who  summed  up  a  discussion  on  the 
method  of  importing  teas,  by  remarking  with  a  know- 
ing air,  ' '  There  are  but  two  ways :  tea  comes  either 
by  caravan,  or  by  Havre."  According  to  Birotteau, 
aloes  and  opium  were  only  to  be  found  in  the  Rue  des 
Lombards.  Rosewater,  said  to  be  brought  from  Con- 
stantinople, was  made  in  Paris  like  eau-de-cologne. 
The  names  of  these  places  were  shams,  invented  to 
please  Frenchmen  who  could  not  endure  the  things 
of  their  own  country.  A  French  merchajit  must  call 
his  discoveries  English  to  make  them  fashionable, 
just  as  in  England  the  druggists  attribute  theirs  to 
France. 

Nevertheless,  Cesar  was  incapable  of  being  wholly 
stupid  or  a  fool.  Honesty  and  goodness  cast  upon  all 
the  acts  of  his  life  a  light  which  made  them  creditable ; 
for  noble  conduct  makes  even  ignorance  seem  worth3\ 
Success  gave  him  confidence.     In  Paris  confidence  ia 


t'69ar  Birotteau.  49 

accepted  as  power,  of  which  it  is  the  outward  sign. 
As  for  Madame  Birotteau,  having  measured  Cesar  dur- 
ing the  first  three  years  of  their  married  life,  she  was 
a  prey  to  continual  terror.  She  represented  in  their 
union  the  sagacious  and  fore-casting  side,  —  doubt, 
opposition,  and  fear ;  while  Cesar,  on  the  other  hand, 
was  the  embodiment  of  audacity,  energ}',  and  the  in- 
expressible delights  of  fatalism.  Yet  in  spite  of  these 
appearances  the  husband  often  quaked,  while  the  wife, 
in  reality,  was  possessed  of  patience  and  true  courage. 

Thus  it  happened  that  a  man  who  was  both  mediocre 
and  pusillanimous,  without  education,  without  ideas, 
without  knowledge,  without  force  of  character,  and  who 
might  be  expected  not  to  succeed  in  the  slipperiest  city 
in  the  world,  came  by  his  principles  of  conduct,  by 
his  sense  of  justice,  by  the  goodness  of  a  heart  that 
was  truly  Christian,  and  through  his  love  for  the  only 
woman  he  had  really  won,  to  be  considered  as  a  re- 
markable man,  courageous,  and  full  of  resolution.  The 
public  saw  results  only.  Excepting  Pillerault  and  Popi- 
not  the  judge,  all  the  people  of  his  own  circle  knew 
him  superficially,  and  were  unable  to  judge  him.  More- 
over, the  twenty  or  thirty  friends  he  had  collected  about 
him  talked  the  same  nonsense,  repeated  the  same  com- 
monplaces, and  all  thought  themselves  superior  in  their 
own  line.  The  women  vied  with  each  other  in  dress 
and  good  dinners ;  each  had  said  her  all  when  she 
dropped  a  contemptuous  word  about  her  husband. 
Madame  Birotteau  alone  had  the  good  sense  to  treat 
hers  with  honor  and  respect  in  public ;  she  knew  him 
to  be  a  man  who,  in  spite  of  his  secret  disabilities,  had 
earned  their  fortune,  and  whose  good  name  she  shared. 

4 


50  CSsar  Birotteau. 

It  is  true  that  she  sometimes  asked  herself  what  sort  of 
world  this  could  be,  if  all  the  men  who  were  thought 
superior  were  like  her  husband.  Sucli  conduct  con- 
tributed not  a  little  to  maintain  the  respectful  esteem 
bestowed  upon  the  perfumer  in  a  community  where 
women  are  much  inclined  to  complain  of  their  husbands 
and  bring  them  into  discredit. 

The  first  days  of  the  year  1814,  so  fatal  to  imperial 
France,  were  marked  at  the  Birotteaus  by  two  events, 
not  especially  remarkable  in  other  households,  but  of  a 
nature  to  impress  such  simple  souls  as  Cesar  and  his 
wife,  who  casting  their  e^'es  along  the  past  could  find  no- 
thing but  tender  memories.  They  had  taken  as  head- 
clerk  a  young  man  twenty-two  j'ears  of  age,  named 
Ferdinand  du  Tillet.  This  lad  —  who  had  just  left  a 
perfumery  where  he  was  refused  a  share  in  the  busi- 
ness, and  who  was  reckoned  a  genius  —  had  made  great 
efforts  to  get  emploj^ed  at  "The  Queen  of  Roses," 
whose  methods,  facilities,  and  customs  were  well  known 
to  him.  Birotteau  took  him,  and  gave  him  a  salary  of 
a  thousand  francs,  intending  to  make  him  eventually 
his  successor. 

Ferdinand  had  so  great  an  influence  on  the  destinies 
of  this  family  that  it  is  necessary  to  sa}'  a  few  words 
about  him.  In  the  first  place  he  was  named  simply  Fer- 
dinand, without  surname.  This  anonj^mous  condition 
seemed  to  him  an  immense  advantage  at  the  time  when 
Napoleon  conscripted  all  families  to  fill  the  ranks.  He 
was,  however,  born  somewhere,  as  the  result  of  some 
cruel  and  voluptuous  caprice.  The  following  are  the 
only  facts  preserved  about  his  civil  condition.     In  1793 


CSsar  Birotteau.  61 

a  poor  girl  of  Tillet,  a  village  near  Andelj'S,  came  b}- 
iiiglit  and  gave  birth  to  a  child  in  the  garden  of  the 
curate  of  the  church  at  Tillet,  and  after  rapping  on 
the  window-shutters  went  away  and  drowned  herself. 
The  good  priest  took  the  child,  gave  him  the  name  of 
the  saint  inscribed  on  the  calendar  for  that  day,  and 
fed  and  brought  him  up  as  his  own  son.  The  curate 
died  in  1804,  without  leaving  enough  property  to  cany 
on  the  education  he  had  begun.  Ferdinand,  throwh 
upon  Paris,  led  a  filibustering  life  whose  chances  might 
bring  him  to  the  scaffold,  to  fortune,  the  bar,  the 
army,  commerce,  or  domestic  life.  Obliged  to  live  like 
a  Figaro,  he  was  first  a  commercial  traveller,  then  a 
perfumer's  clerk  in  Paris,  where  he  turned  up  after  trav- 
ersing all  France,  having  studied  the  world  and  made 
up  his  mind  to  succeed  at  any  price. 

In  1813  Ferdinand  thought  it  necessary  to  register  his 
age,  and  obtain  a  civil  standing  by  applj'ing  to  the  courts 
at  Andelj's  for  a  judgment,  which  should  enable  his 
baptismal  record  to  be  transferred  from  the  registry  of 
the  parish  to  that  of  the  mayor's  office ;  and  he  obtained 
permission  to  rectify  the  document  by  inserting  the 
name  of  du  Tillet,  under  which  he  was  known,  and 
which  legally  belonged  to  him  through  the  fact  of  his 
exposure  and  abandonment  in  that  township.  Without 
father,  mother,  or  other  guardian  than  the  procureur 
imperial^  alone  in  the  world  and  owing  no  duty  to  any 
man,  he  found  society  a  hard  stepmother,  and  he  han- 
dled it,  in  his  turn,  without  gloves,  —  as  the  Turks  the 
Moors ;  he  knew  no  guide  but  his  own  interests,  and 
any  means  to  fortune  he  considered  good.  This  young 
Norman,  gifted  with   dangerous   abilities,  coupled  his 


52  CSsar  Birotteau. 

desires  for  success  with  tlie  harsh  defects  which,  justly 
or  unjustly*,  are  attributed  to  the  natives  of  his  province. 
A  wheedling  manner  cloaked  a  quibbling  mind,  for  he 
was  in  ti-uth  a  hard  judicial  wrangler.  But  if  he  boldly 
contested  the  rights  of  others,  he  certainh*  yielded  none 
of  his  own  ;  he  attacked  his  adversar}'  at  the  right  mo- 
ment, and  wearied  him  out  with  his  inflexible  persist- 
ency. His  merits  were  those  of  the  Scapins  of  ancient 
corned}' ;  he  had  their  fertility'  of  resource,  their  clever- 
ness in  skirting  evil,  their  itching  to  lay  hold  of  all  that 
was  good  to  keep.  In  short,  he  applied  to  his  own 
poverty  a  saying'  which  the  Abbe  Terray  uttered  in  the 
name  of  the  State, — he  kept  a  loophole  to  become  in 
after  years  an  honest  man.  Gifted  with  passionate 
energ}',  with  a  boldness  that  was  almost  militar}-  in  re- 
quiring good  as  well  as  evil  actions  from  those  about 
him,  and  justifj'ing  such  demands  on  the  theory  of  per- 
sonal interest,  he  despised  men  too  much,  believing 
them  all  corruptible,  he  was  too  unscrupulous  in  the 
choice  of  means,  thinking  all  equally'  good,  he  was  too 
thoroughl}'  convinced  that  the  success  of  money  was  the 
absolution  of  all  moral  mechanism,  not  to  attain  his 
ends  sooner  or  later. 

Such  a  man,  standing  between  the  hulks  and  a  vast 
fortune,  was  necessaril}'  vindictive,  domineering,  quick 
in  decisions,  5-et  as  dissimulating  as  a  Cromwell  plan- 
ning to  decapitate  the  head  of  integrit}'.  His  real 
depth  was  hidden  under  a  light  and  jesting  mind.  Mere 
clerk  as  he  was,  his  ambition  knew  no  bounds.  With 
one  comprehensive  glance  of  hatred  he  had  taken  in 
the  whole  of  society,  saying  boldly  to  himself,  "  Thou 
shalt  be  mine ! "     He  had  vowed  not  to  maiTy  till  he 


CSgar  Birotteau.  53 

was  forty,  and  kept  his  word.  Physically,  Ferdinand 
was  a  tall,  slender  3'oung  man,  with  a  good  figure  and 
adaptive  manners,  which  enabled  him  to  take,  on  occa- 
sion, the  key-note  of  the  various  societies  in  which  he 
found  himself.  His  ignoble  face  was  rather  pleasant  at 
first  sight ;  but  later,  on  closer  acquaintance,  expressions 
were  caught  such  as  come  to  the  surface  of  those  who 
are  ill  at  ease  in  their  own  minds,  and  whose  consciences 
groan  at  certain  times.  His  complexion,  which  was 
sanguine  under  the  soft  skin  of  a  Norman,  had  a  crude 
or  acrid  color.  The  glance  of  his  eye,  whose  iris  was 
circled  with  a  whitish  lim  as  if  it  were  lined  with  silver, 
was  evasive  jet  terrible  when  he  fixed  it  straiglit  upon 
his  victim.  His  voice  had  a  hollow  sound,  like  that  of 
a  man  worn  out  with  much  speaking.  His  thin  lips 
were  not  wanting  in  charm,  but  his  pointed  nose  and 
slightly  projecting  forehead  showed  defects  of  race ; 
and  his  hair,  of  a  tint  like  hair  that  has  been  dyed 
black,  indicated  a  mongrel  descent,  through  which  he 
derived  his  mental  qualities  from  some  libertine  lord, 
his  low  instincts  from  a  seduced  peasant-girl,  his  knowl- 
edge from  an  incomplete  education,  and  his  vices  from 
his  deserted  and  abandoned  condition. 

Birotteau  discovered  with  much  amazement  that  his 
clerk  went  out  in  the  evening  very  elegantly  dressed, 
came  home  late,  and  was  seen  at  the  balls  of  bankers 
and  notaries.  Such  habits  displeased  Cdsar,  according 
to  whose  ideas  clerks  should  study  the  books  of  the  firm 
and  think  only  of  their  business.  The  worthy  man  was 
shocked  b}*  trifles,  and  reproached  du  Tillet  gently  for 
wearing  linen  that  was  too  fine,  for  leaving  cards  on 
which  his  name  was  inscribed,  F.  du  Tillet,  —  a  fashion, 


64  CSsar  Birotteau. 

according  to  commercial  jurisprudence,  which  belonged 
only  to  the  great  world.  Ferdinand  had  entered  the 
emplo}'  of  this  Orgon  with  the  intentions  of  a  Tartuffe. 
He  paid  court  to  Madame  Cesar,  tried  to  seduce  her, 
and  judged  his  master  very  much  as  the  wife  judged 
him  herself,  and  all  with  alarming  rapidity.  Though 
discreet,  reserved,  and  accustomed  to  say  only  what  he 
meant  to  say,  du  Tillet  unbosomed  his  opinions  on  men 
and  life  in  a  way  to  shock  a  scrupulous  woman  who 
shared  the  religious  feelings  of  her  husband,  and  who 
thought  it  a  crime  to  do  the  least  harm  to  a  neighbor. 
In  spite  of  Madame  Birotteau's  caution,  du  Tillet  sus- 
pected the  contempt  in  which  she  held  him.  Constance, 
to  whom  Ferdinand  had  written  a  few  love-letters,  soon 
noticed  a  change  in  his  manners,  which  grew  presuming, 
as  if  intended  to  convey  the  idea  of  a  mutual  good  un- 
derstanding. Without  giving  the  secret  reason  to  her 
husband,  she  advised  him  to  send  Ferdinand  awa3\ 
Birotteau  agreed  with  his  wife,  and  the  dismissal  was 
determined  upon. 

Two  days  before  it  was  carried  into  effect,  on  a 
Saturday  night  when  Birotteau  was  making  up  his 
monthl}^  accounts,  three  thousand  francs  were  found 
to  be  missing.  His  consternation  was  dreadful,  less 
for  the  loss  than  for  the  suspicions  which  fell  upon 
three  clerks,  one  cook,  a  shop-boy,  and  several  habitual 
workmen.  On  whom  should  he  lay  the  blame?  Ma- 
dame Birotteau  never  left  her  counter.  The  clerk  who 
had  charge  of  the  desk  was  a  nephew  of  Monsieur 
Ragon  named  Popinot,  a  young  man  nineteen  years 
old,  who  lived  with  the  Birotteaus  and  was  integrity 
itself.    His  figures,  which  disagreed  with  the  money  in 


Cesar  Birotteau.  65 

the  desk,  revealed  the  deficit,  and  showed  that  the 
abstraction  had  been  made  after  the  balance  had  been 
added  up.  Husband  and  wife  resolved  to  keep  silence 
and  watch  the  house.  On  the  following  day,  Sunday, 
they  received  their  friends.  The  families  who  made 
up  their  coterie  met  at  each  other's  houses  for  little 
festivities,  turn  and  turn  about.  While  pla3'ing  at 
bouillote,  Roguin  the  notary  placed  on  the  card-table 
some  old  louis  d'or  which  Madame  C^sar  had  taken  only 
a  few  days  before  from  a  bride,  Madame  d'Espart. 

"  Have  3'ou  been  robbing  the  poor-box?"  asked  the 
perfumer,  laughing. 

Roguin  replied  that  he  had  won  the  money,  at  the 
house  of  a  banker,  from  du  Tillet,  who  confirmed  the 
answer  without  blushing.  Cesar,  on  the  other  hand, 
grew  scarlet.  When  the  evening  was  over,  and  just  as 
Ferdinand  was  going  to  bed,  Birotteau  took  him  into 
the  shop  on  a  pretext  of  business. 

'' Du  Tillet,"  said  the  worthy  man,  "three  thou- 
sand francs  are  missing  from  the  desk.  I  suspect  no 
one ;  but  the  circumstance  of  the  old  louis  seems  too 
much  against  you  not  to  oblige  me  to  speak  of  it.  We 
will  not  go  to  bed  till  we  have  found  where  the  error 
lies,  —  for,  after  all,  it  may  be  only  an  error.  Perhaps 
3'ou  took  something  on  account  of  your  salarj^  ?  " 

Du  Tillet  said  at  once  that  he  had  taken  the  louis. 
The  perfumer  opened  his  ledger  and  found  that  his 
clerk's  account  had  not  been  debited. 

' '  I  was  in  a  hurrj' ;  but  I  ought  to  have  made  Popi- 
not  enter  the  sum,"  said  Ferdinand. 

"That  is  true,"  said  Birotteau,  bewildered  by  the 
cool  unconcern  of  the  Norman,  who  well  knew  the 


56  CSsar  Birotteau. 

worthy  people  among  whom  he  had  come  meaning  to 
make  his  fortune.  The  perfumer  and  his  clerk  passed 
the  whole  night  in  examining  accounts,  a  labor  which 
the  good  man  knew  to  be  useless.  In  coming  and 
going  about  the  desk  Cesar  slipped  three  bills  of  a 
thousand  francs  each  into  the  monej'-drawer,  catching 
them  against  the  top  of  it ;  then  he  pretended  to  be 
much  fatigued  and  to  fall  asleep  and  snore.  Du  Tillct 
awoke  him  triumphantly,  with  an  excessive  show  of  joy 
at  discovering  the  error.  The  next  day  Birotteau 
scolded  little  Popinot  and  his  wife  publicl}',  as  if  verj' 
angr^'  with  them  for  their  negligence.  Fifteen  days 
later  Ferdinand  du  Tillet  got  a  situation  with  a  stock- 
broker. He  said  perfumery  did  not  suit  him,  and  he 
wished  to  learn  banking.  In  leaving  Birotteau,  he  spoke 
of  Madame  Cesar  in  a  way  to  make  people  suppose  that 
his  master  had  dismissed  him  out  of  jealousy.  A  few 
months  later,  however,  du  Tillet  went  to  see  Birotteau 
and  asked  his  indorsement  for  twenty  thousand  francs, 
to  enable  him  to  make  up  the  securities  he  needed  in  an 
enterprise  which  was  to  put  him  on  the  high-road  to 
fortune.  Observing  the  surprise  which  Cesar  showed 
at  this  impudence,  du  Tillet  frowned,  and  asked  if  he 
had  no  confidence  in  him.  Matifat  and  two  other  mer- 
chants, who  were  present  on  business  with  Birotteau, 
also  observed  the  indignation  of  tlie  perfumer,  who 
repressed  his  anger  in  their  presence.  Du  Tillet,  he 
thought,  might  have  become  an  honest  man ;  his  previ- 
ous fault  might  have  been  committed  for  some  mistress 
in  distress  or  from  losses  at  cards  ;  the  public  reproba- 
tion of  an  honest  man  might  drive  one  still  young,  and 
possibly  repentant,  into  a  career  of  crime.      So  this 


Cisar  Birotleau.  '     bl 

angel  took  up  his  pen  and  indorsed  du  Tillet's  notes, 
telling  him  that  he  was  heartily  willing  thus  to  oblige 
a  lad  who  had  been  very  useful  to  him.  The  blood 
rushed  to  his  face  as  he  uttered  the  falsehood.  Du 
Tillet  could  not  meet  his  eye,  and  no  doubt  vowed  to 
him  at  that  moment  the  undying  hatred  which  the  spirits 
of  darkness  feel  towards  the  angels  of  light. 

From  this  time  du  Tillet  held  his  balance-pole  so  well 
as  he  danced  the  tight-rope  of  financial  speculation,  that 
he  was  rich  and  elegant  in  appearance  before  he  became 
so  in  reality.  As  soon  as  he  got  a  cabriolet  he  was 
always  in  it;  he  kept  himself  in  the  high  sphere  of 
those  who  mingle  business  with  pleasure,  and  make  the 
foyer  of  the  opera-house  a  branch  of  the  Bourse,  —  in 
short,  the  Turcarets  of  the  period.  Thanks  to  Madame 
Roguin,  whom  he  had  known  at  the  Birotteau's,  he  was 
received  at  once  among  people  of  the  highest  standing 
in  finance ;  and,  at  the  moment  of  which  we  write,  he 
had  reached  a  prosperity  in  which  there  was  nothing 
fictitious.  He  was  on  the  best  terms  with  the  house  of 
Nucingen,  to  which  Roguin  had  introduced  him,  and  he 
had  promptly  become  connected  with  the  brothers  Keller 
and  with  several  other  great  banking-houses.  No  one 
knew  from  whence  this  j'outh  had  derived  the  immense 
capital  which  he  handled,  but  every  one  attributed  his 
success  to  his  intelligence  and  his  integrity'. 

The  Restoration  made  Cdsar  a  personage,  and  the 
turmoil  of  political  crises  naturally  lessened  his  recol- 
lection of  these  domestic  misadventures.  The  con- 
stanc}-  of  his  royalist  opinions  (to  which  he  had  become 
exceedingly  indiflferent  since  his  wound,  though  he  re- 


58      '  CSsar  Birotteau. 

mained  faithful  to  them  out  of  decency)  and  the  memory 
of  his  devotion  in  Venderaiaire  won  him  very  high 
patronage,  precisely  because  he  had  asked  for  none. 
He  was  appointed  major  in  the  National  Guard, 
although  he  was  utterly  incapable  of  giving  the  word 
of  command.  In  1815  Napoleon,  always  his  enemj', 
dismissed  him.  During  the  Hundred  Days  Birotteau 
was  the  bugbear  of  the  liberals  of  his  quarter ;  for  it 
was  not  until  1815  that  differences  of  political  opinion 
grew  up  among  merchants,  who  had  hitherto  been  unani- 
mous in  their  desires  for  public  tranquillit}',  of  which, 
as  the}'  knew,  business  affairs  stood  much  in  need. 

At  the  second  Restoration  the  royal  government  was 
obliged  to  remodel  the  municipality'  of  Paris.  The  pre- 
fect wished  to  nominate  Birotteau  as  ma^or.  Thanks 
to  his  wife,  the  perfumer  would  onl}'  accept  the  place  of 
deputy-mayor,  which  brought  him  less  before  the  public. 
Such  modesty  increased  the  respect  generally  felt  for 
him,  and  won  him  the  friendship  of  the  new  mayor,  Mon- 
sieur Flamet  de  la  Billardiere.  Birotteau,  who  had  seen 
him  in  the  shop  in  the  days  when  "The  Queen  of  Roses" 
was  the  headquarters  of  ro3'alist  conspiracy',  mentioned 
him  to  the  prefect  of  the  Seine  when  that  official  con- 
sulted Cesar  on  the  choice  to  be  made.  Monsieur  and 
Madame  Birotteau  were  therefore  never  forgotten  in  the 
invitations  of  the  mayor.  Madame  Birotteau  frequently 
took  up  the  collections  at  Saint-Roch  in  the  best  of  good 
company.  La  Billardiere  warmly  supported  Birotteau 
when  the  question  of  bestowing  the  crosses  given  to  the 
municipality  came  up,  and  dwelt  upon  his  wound  at 
Saint-Roch,  his  attachment  to  the  Bourbons,  and  the 
respect  which  he  enjoyed.     The  government,  wishing 


CiBar  Birotteau.  59 

on  the  one  hand  to  cheapen  Napoleon's  order  by  lav- 
ishing the  cross  of  the  Legion  of  honor,  and  on  the 
other  to  win  adherents  and  rally  to  the  Bourbons  the 
various  trades  and  men  of  arts  and  sciences,  included 
Birotteau  in  the  coming  promotion.  This  honor,  which 
suited  well  with  the  show  that  Cesar  made  in  his 
arrondissement,  put  him  in  a  position  where  the  ideas 
of  a  man  accustomed  to  succeed  naturally  enlarged 
themselves.  The  news  which  the  mayor  had  just  given 
him  of  his  preferment  was  the  determining  reason  that 
decided  him  to  plunge  into  the  scheme  which  he  now 
for  the  first  time  revealed  to  his  wife ;  he  believed  it 
would  enable  him  to  give  up  perfumery  all  the  more 
quickly,  and  rise  into  the  regions  of  the  higher  bour- 
geoisie of  Paris. 

Cesar  was  now  fort}'  years  old.  The  work  he  had 
undertaken  in  his  manufactories  had  given  him  a  few 
premature  wrinkles,  and  had  slightly  silvered  the  thick 
tufts  of  hair  on  which  the  pressure  of  his  hat  left  a 
shining  circle.  His  forehead,  where  the  hair  grew  in 
a  way  to  mark  five  distinct  points,  showed  the  simpli- 
city of  his  life.  The  heavy  eyebrows  were  not  alarm- 
ing because  the  limpid  glance  of  his  frank  blue  eyes 
harmonized  with  the  open  forehead  of  an  honest  man. 
His  nose,  broken  at  the  bridge  and  thick  at  the  end, 
gave  him  the  wondering  look  of  a  gaby  in  the  streets 
of  Paris.  His  lips  were  very  thick,  and  his  large  chin 
fell  in  a  straight  line  below  them.  His  face,  high- 
colored  and  square  in  outline,  revealed,  b}'  the  lines 
of  its  wrinkles  and  by  the  general  character  of  its  ex- 
pression, the  ingenuous  craftiness  of  a  peasant.  The 
strength  of  his  body,  the  stoutness  of  his  limbs,  the 


60  CSsar  Birotteau. 

squareness  of  his  shoulders,  the  width  of  his  feet,  — 
all  denoted  the  villager  transplanted  to  Paris.  His 
powerful  hairy  hands,  with  their  large  square  nails, 
would  alone  have  attested  his  origin  if  other  vestiges 
had  not  remained  on  various  parts  of  his  person.  His 
lips  wore  the  cordial  smile  which  shopkeepers  put  on 
when  a  customer  enters ;  but  this  commercial  sunshine 
was  really  the  image  of  his  inward  content,  and  pic- 
tured the  state  of  his  kindly  soul.  His  distrust  never 
went  beyond  the  lines  of  his  business,  his  craftiness  left 
him  on  the  steps  of  the  Bourse,  or  when  he  closed  the 
pages  of  his  ledger.  Suspicion  was  to  him  very  much 
what  his  printed  bill-heads  were,  —  a  necessity  of  the 
sale  itself.  His  countenance  presented  a  sort  of  comi- 
cal assurance  and  conceit  mingled  with  good  nature, 
which  gave  it  originality  and  saved  it  from  too  close  a 
resemblance  to  the  insipid  face  of  a  Parisian  bourgeois. 
Without  this  air  of  naive  self-admiration  and  faith  in  his 
own  person,  he  would  have  won  too  much  respect ;  he 
drew  nearer  to  his  fellows  b\'  thus  contributing  his  quota 
of  absurdit}'.  When  speaking,  he  habitually  crossed 
his  hands  behind  his  back.  When  he  thought  he  had 
said  something  striking  or  gallknt,  he  rose  impercep- 
tibly on  the  points  of  his  toes  twice,  and  dropped  back 
heavih'  on  his  heels,  as  if  to  emphasize  what  he  said. 
In  the  midst  of  an  argument  he  might  be  seen  turning 
round  upon  himself  and  walking  off  a  few  steps,  as  if 
he  had  gone  to  find  objections  with  which  he  returned 
upon  his  adversar}^  brusquely.  He  never  interrupted, 
and  was  sometimes  a  victim  to  this  careful  observance 
of  civility ;  for  others  would  take  the  words  out  of  his 
mouth,  and  the  good  man  had  to  yield  his  ground  with- 


CSsar  Birotteau.  61 

out  opening  his  lips.  His  great  experience  in  com- 
mercial matters  had  given  him  a  few  fixed  habits,  which 
some  people  called  eccentricities.  If  a  note  were  over- 
due he  sent  for  the  bailiff,  and  thought  only  of  recov- 
ering capital,  interest,  and  costs ;  and  the  bailiff  was 
ordered  to  pursue  the  matter  until  the  debtor  went  into 
bankruptcy.  Cdsar  then  stopped  all  proceedings,  never 
appeared  at  any  meeting  of  creditors,  and  held  on  to  his 
securities.  He  adopted  this  sj^stem  and  his  implacable 
contempt  for  bankrupts  from  Monsieur  Ragon,  who  in 
the  course  of  his  commercial  life  had  seen  such  loss  of 
time  in  litigation  that  he  had  come  to  look  upon  the 
meagre  and  uncertain  dividends  obtained  hy  such  com- 
promises as  fully  counterbalanced  by  a  better  employ- 
ment of  the  time  spent  in  coming  and  going,  in  making 
proposals,  or  in  listening  to  excuses  for  dishonesty. 

"If  the  bankrupt  is  an  honest  man,  and  recovers 
himself,  he  will  pay  you,"  Ragon  would  s^y.  "If  he 
is  without  means  and  simply  unfortunate,  whj-  torment 
him?  If  he  is  a  scoundrel,  you  will  never  get  anything. 
Your  known  severity  will  make  j'ou  seem  uncompro- 
mising ;  it  will  be  impossible  to  negotiate  with  you  ; 
consequentl}'  you  are  the  one  who  will  get  paid  as  long 
as  there  is  anj'thing  to  pay  with." 

Cesar  came  to  all  appointments  at  the  expected  hour ; 
but  if  he  were  kept  waiting,  he  left  ten  minutes  later 
with  an  inflexibilit}'  which  nothing  ever  changed.  Thus 
his  punctuality  compelled  all  persons  who  had  dealings 
with  him  to  be  punctual  themselves. 

The  dress  adopted  by  the  worthy  man  was  in  keeping 
with  his  manners  and  his  countenance.  No  power 
could  have  made  him  give  up  the  white  muslin  cravats, 


62  CSsar  Birotteau. 

with  ends  embroidered  by  his  wife  or  daughter,  which 
hung  down  beneath  his  chin.  His  waistcoat  of  white 
pique,  squarely  buttoned,  came  down  low  over  his  stom- 
ach, which  was  rather  protuberant,  for  he  was  somewhat 
fat.  He  wore  blue  trousers,  black  silk  stockings,  and 
shoes  with  ribbon  ties,  which  were  often  unfastened. 
His  surtout  coat,  olive-green  and  alwaj's  too  large,  and 
his  broad-brimmed  hat  gave  him  the  air  of  a  Quaker. 
When  he  dressed  for  the  Sunday  evening  festivities  he 
put  on  silk  breeches,  shoes  with  gold  buckles,  and  the 
inevitable  square  waistcoat,  whose  front  edges  opened 
sufficiently  to  show  a  pleated  shirt-frill.  His  coat,  of 
maroon  cloth,  had  wide  flaps  and  long  skirts.  Up  to 
the  year  1819  he  kept  up  the  habit  of  wearing  two  watch- 
chains,  which  hung  down  in  parallel  lines ;  but  he  only 
put  on  the  second  when  he  dressed  for  the  evening. 

Such  was  Cdsar  Birotteau ;  a  worthy  man,  to  whom 
the  fates  presiding  at  the  birth  of  men  had  denied  the 
faculty  of  judging  politics  and  life  in  their  entirety,  and 
of  rising  above  the  social  level  of  the  middle  classes ; 
who  followed  ignorantly  the  track  of  routine,  whose 
opinions  were  all  imposed  upon  him  from  the  outside 
and  applied  by  him  without  examination.  Blind  but 
good,  not  spiritual  but  deeply  religious,  he  had  a  pure 
heart.  In  that  heart  there  shone  one  love,  the  light  and 
strength  of  his  life  ;  for  his  desire  to  rise  in  life,  and  the 
limited  knowledge  he  had  gained  of  the  world,  both  came 
from  his  affection  for  his  wife  and  for  his  daughter- 

As  for  Madame  C^sar,  then  thirty-seven  years'  old, 
she  bore  so  close  a  resemblance  to  the  Venus  of  Milo 
that  all  who  knew  her  recognized  the  likeness  whe.-^  *-li« 


CSsar  Birotteau.  63 

Due  de  Riviere  sent  the  beautiful  statue  to  Paris.  In  a 
few  months  sorrows  were  to  dim  with  j'ellowing  tints  that 
dazzUng  fairness,  to  hollow  and  blacken  the  bluish  cir- 
cle round  the  lovely  greenish-gray  e^-es  so  cruelly  that 
she  then  wore  the  look  of  an  old  Madonna ;  for  amid 
the  coming  ruin  she  retained  her  gentle  sincerity,  her 
pure  though  saddened  glance  ;  and  no  one  ever  thought 
her  less  than  a  beautiful  woman,  whose  bearing  was 
vii'tuous  and  full  of  dignity.  At  the  ball  now  planned 
by  Cesar  she  was  to  shine  with  a  last  lustre  of  beauty, 
remarked  upon  at  the  time  and  long  remembered. 

Every  life  has  its  climax, — a  period  when  causes  are 
at  work,  and  are  in  exact  relation  to  results.  This  mid- 
day of  life,  when  living  forces  find  their  equilibrium  and 
put  forth  their  productive  powers  with  full  effect,  is 
common  not  only  to  organized  beings  but  to  cities, 
nations,  ideas,  institutions,  commerce,  and  commercial 
enterprises,  aU  of  which,  like  noble  races  and  dynasties, 
are  born  and  rise  and  fall.  From  whence  comes  the 
vigor  with  which  this  law  of  growth  and  decay  applies 
itself  to  all  organized  things  in  this  lower  world? 
Death  itself,  in  times  of  scourge,  has  periods  when  it 
advances,  slackens,  sinks  back,  and  slumbers.  Our 
globe  is  perhaps  only  a  rocket  a  little  more  continuing 
than  the  rest.  History,  recording  the  causes  of  the  rise 
and  fall  of  all  things  here  below,  could  enlighten  man 
as  to  the  moment  when  he  might  arrest  the  play  of  all 
his  faculties  ;  but  neither  the  conquerors,  nor  the  actors, 
nor  the  women,  nor  the  writers  in  the  great  drama  will 
listen  to  the  salutary  voice. 

Cesar  Birotteau,  who  might  with  reason  think  himself 
at  the  apogee  of  his  fortunes,  used  this  crucial  pause 


64  CSsar  Birotteau. 

as  the  point  of  a  new  departure.  He  did  not  know, 
moreover  neither  nations  nor  kings  have  attempted  to 
make  known  in  characters  ineffaceable,  the  cause  of 
the  vast  ovei'throws  with  which  history  teems,  and  of 
which  so  many  royal  and  commercial  houses  offer  signal 
examples.  Wh}"-  are  there  no  modern  pyramids  to  re- 
call ceaselessly  the  one  principle  which  dominates  the 
common-weal  of  nations  and  of  individual  life  ?  When 
the  effect  produced  is  no  longer  in  direct  relation  nor 
in  equal  proportion  to  the  cause,  disorganization  has 
begun.  And  yet  such  monuments  stand  everywhere; 
it  is  tradition  and  the  stones  of  the  earth  which  tell  us 
of  the  past,  which  set  a  seal  upon  the  caprices  of  in- 
domitable destiny,  whose  hand  wipes  out  our  dreams, 
and  shows  us  that  all  great  events  are  summed  up  in 
one  idea.  Troy  and  Napoleon  are  but  poems.  May 
this  present  history  be  the  poem  of  middle-class  vicissi- 
tudes, to  which  no  voice  has  given  utterance  because 
they  have  seemed  poor  in  dignity,  enormous  as  they  are 
in  volume.  It  is  not  one  man  with  whom  we  are  now 
to  deal,  but  a  whole  people,  or  world,  of  sorrows. 


CSsar  Birotteau.  66 


III. 


Cesar's  last  thought  as  he  fell  asleep  was  a  fear  that 
his  wife  would  make  peremptory  objections  in  the 
morning,  and  he  ordered  himself  to  get  up  very  early 
and  escape  them.  At  the  dawn  of  day  he  slipped  out 
noiselessly,  leaving  his  wife  in  bed,  dressed  quickl}', 
and  went  down  to  the  shop  just  as  the  bo}'  was  taking 
down  the  numbered  shutters.  Birotteau,  finding  him- 
self alone,  the  clerks  not  having  appeared,  went  to  the 
doorway  to  see  how  the  boy,  named  Raguet,  did  his 
work,  —  for  Birotteau  knew  all  about  it  from  experience. 
In  spite  of  the  sharp  air  the  weather  was  beautiful. 

"  Popinot,  get  your  hat,  put  on  3-our  shoes,  and  call 
Monsieur  Celestin ;  you  and  I  will  go  and  have  a  talk 
in  the  Tuileries,"  he  said,  when  he  saw  Anselme  come 
down. 

Popinot,  the  admirable  antipodes  of  du  Tillet,  appren- 
ticed to  Cesar  by  one  of  those  luckj^  chances  which  lead 
us  to  believe  in  a  Sub-Providence,  plays  so  great  a  part 
in  this  history  that  it  becomes  absolutely  necessary  to 
sketch  his  profile  here.  Madame  Ragon  was  a  Popi- 
not. She  had  two  brothers.  One,  the  youngest  of  the 
family,  was  at  this  time  a  judge  in  the  Lower  couils 
of  the  Seine,  —  courts  which  take  cognizance  of  all  civil 
contests  involving  sums  above  a  certain  amount.  The 
eldest,  who  was  in  the  wholesale  wool-trade,  lost  his 

5 


66  Ci»ar  Birotteau. 

propertj'  and  died,  leaving  to  the  care  of  Madame 
Ragon  and  his  brother  an  only  son,  who  had  lost  his 
mother  at  his  birth.  To  give  him  a  trade,  Madame 
Ragon  placed  her  nephew  at  "The  Queen  of  Roses," 
hoping  he  might  some  daj'  succeed  Birotteau.  Anselme 
Popinot  was  a  little  fellow  and  club-footed,  —  an  infirm- 
ity' bestowed  by  fate  on  Lord  Byron,  Walter  Scott,  and 
Monsieur  de  Talleyrand,  that  others  so  afflicted  might 
suffer  no  discouragement.  He  had  the  brilliant  skin, 
with  frequent  blotches,  which  belongs  to  persons  with 
red  hair ;  but  his  clear  brow,  his  eyes  the  color  of  a 
gre3" -veined  agate,  his  pleasant  mouth,  his  fair  com- 
plexion, the  charm  of  his  modest  youth  and  the  shyness 
which  grew  out  of  his  deformity,  all  inspired  feelings 
of  protection  in  those  who  knew  him  :  we  love  the 
weak,  and  Popinot  was  loved.  Little  Popinot  —  every^ 
body  called  him  so  —  belonged  to  a  family  essentially  re- 
ligious, whose  virtues  were  intelligent,  and  whose  lives 
were  simple  and  full  of  noble  actions.  The  lad  himself, 
brought  up  by  his  uncle  the  judge,  presented  a  union 
of  qualities  which  are  the  beauty  of  youth ;  good  and 
affectionate,  a  little  shame-faced  though  full  of  eagerness, 
gentle  as  a  lamb  but  energetic  in  his  work,  devoted  and 
sober,  he  was  endowed  with  the  virtues  of  a  Christian 
in  the  early  ages  of  the  Church. 

When  he  heard  of  a  walk  in  the  Tuileries,  —  certainly 
the  most  eccentric  proposal  that  his  august  master 
could  have  made  to  him  at  that  hour  of  the  day,  — Po- 
pinot felt  sure  that  he  must  intend  to  speak  to  him 
about  setting  up  in  business.  He  thought  suddenly  of 
C^sarine,  the  true  queen  of  roses,  the  living  sign 
of  the  house,  whom  he  had  loved  from  the  day  when 


Gimr  Birotteau.  67 

he  was  taken  into  Birotteau's  employ,  two  months  be- 
fore the  advent  of  du  Tillet.  As  he  went  upstairs  he 
was  forced  to  pause ;  his  heart  swelled,  his  arteries 
throbbed  violently.  However,  he  soon  came  down 
again,  followed  by  C(ilestin,  the  head-clerk.  Anselme 
and  his  master  turned  without  a  word  in  the  direction 
of  the  Tuileries. 

Popinot  was  twent3-one  years  old.  Birotteau  him- 
self had  married  at  that  age.  Anselme  therefore  could 
see  no  hindrance  to  his  marriage  with  Cesarine,  though 
the  wealth  of  the  perfumer  and  the  beauty  of  the 
daughter  were  immense  obstacles  in  the  path  of  his  am- 
bitious desires  :  but  love  gets  onward  by  leaps  of  hope, 
and  the  more  absurd  they  are  the  greater  faith  it  has 
in  them  ;  the  farther  off  was  the  mistress  of  Anselme's 
heart,  the  more  ardent  became  his  desires.  Happ}'  the 
youth  who  in  those  levelling  days  when  all  hats  looked 
alike,  had  contrived  to  create  a  sense  of  distance  be- 
tween the  daughter  of  a  perfumer  and  himself,  the  scion 
of  an  old  Parisian  family !  In  spite  of  all  his  doubts 
and  fears  he  was  happy :  did  he  not  dine  every  day 
beside  Cesarine?  So,  while  attending  to  the  business 
of  the  house,  he  threw  a  zeal  and  energy  into  his  work 
which  deprived  it  of  all  hardship ;  doing  it  for  the  sake 
of  Cesarine,  nothing  tired  him.  Love,  in  a  youth  of 
twenty,  feeds  on  devotion. 

"He  is  a  true  merchant;  he  will  succeed,"  C^sar 
would  say  to  Madame  Ragon,  as  he  praised  Anselme's 
activity  in  preparing  the  work  at  the  facto rj^,  or  boasted 
of  his  readiness  in  learning  the  niceties  of  the  trade, 
or  recalled  his  arduous  labors  when  shipments  had  to 
be  made,  and  when,  with  his  sleeves  rolled  up  and  his 


68  CSsar  Birotteau. 

arms  bare,  the  lame  lad  packed  acd  nailed  np,  him- 
self aloue,  more  cases  than  all  the  other  clerks  put 
together. 

The  well-known  and  avowed  intentions  of  Alexandre 
Crottat,  head-clerk  to  Roguin,  and  the  wealth  of  his 
father,  a  rich  farmer  of  Brie,  were  certainly  obstacles 
in  the  lad's  way ;  but  even  these  were  not  the  hardest 
to  conquer.  Popinot  buried  in  the  depths  of  his  heart 
a  sad  secret,  which  widened  the  distance  between 
Cesarine  and  himself.  The  property  of  the  Ragons, 
on  which  he  might  have  counted,  was  involved,  and 
the  orphan  lad  had  tlie  satisfaction  of  enabling  them 
to  live  by  making  over  to  them  his  meagre  salary.  Yet 
with  all  these  drawbacks  he  believed  in  success !  He 
had  sometimes  caught  a  glance  of  dignified  approval 
from  Cesarine ;  in  the  depths  of  her  blue  ej'es  he  had 
dared  to  read  a  secret  thought  full  of  caressing  hopes. 
He  now  walked  beside  C^sar,  heaving  with  these  ideas, 
trembling,  silent,  agitated,  as  any  j'oung  lad  might 
well  have  been  by  such  an  occurrence  in  the  burgeoning 
time  of  3'outh. 

"Popinot,"  said  the  worthy  man,  "is  your  aunt 
well?" 

"  Yes,  monsieur." 

"  She  has  seemed  rather  anxious  lately.  Does  any- 
thing trouble  her?  Listen,  my  boy;  you  must  not  be 
too  reticent  with  me.  I  am  half  one  of  the  family.  I 
have  known  your  uncle  Ragon  thirtj'-five  years.  I 
went  to  him  in  hob-nailed  shoes,  just  as  I  came  from 
my  village.  That  place  is  called  Les  Tresorieres,  but 
I  can  tell  you  that  all  my  worldly  goods  were  one  louis, 
given  me  by  my  godmother  the  late  Marquise  d'Uxelles, 


CSsar  Birotteau.  69 

a  relation  of  Monsieur  le  Due  and  Madame  la  Duchesse 
de  Lenoncourt,  who  are  now  customers  of  ours.  I  pray 
every  Sunday  for  her  and  for  all  her  family ;  I  send 
yearly  to  her  niece  in  Touraine,  Madame  de  Mortsauf, 
all  her  perfumery.  I  get  a  good  deal  of  custom  through 
them ;  there 's  Monsieur  de  Vandenesse  who  spends 
twelve  hundred  francs  a  year  with  us.  If  I  were  not 
grateful  out  of  good  feeling,  I  ought  to  be  so  out  of 
policy ;  but  as  for  you  Anselme,  I  wish  you  well  for 
your  own  sake,  and  without  any  other  thought." 

"  Ah,  monsieur !  if  j^ou  will  allow  me  to  say  so,  you 
have  got  a  head  of  gold." 

"'No,  no,  my  boy,  that's  not  it.  I  don't  say  that 
my  head-piece  is  n't  as  good  as  another's  ;  but  the  thing 
is,  I  've  been  honest,  —  tenaciously  !  I  've  kept  to  good 
conduct ;  I  never  loved  any  woman  except  my  wife. 
Love  is  a  famous  vehicle^  —  happy  word  used  by 
Monsieur  Villele  in  the  tribune  yesterdaj'." 

"  Love  !  "  exclaimed  Popinot.  "  Oh,  monsieur !  can 
itbe— " 

"Bless  me!  there's  Pere  Roguin,  on  foot  at  this 
hour,  at  the  top  of  the  Place  Louis  XV.  I  wonder 
what  he  is  doing  there  !  "  thought  C^sar,  forgetting  all 
about  Anselme  and  the  oil  of  nuts. 

The  suspicions  of  his  wife  came  back  to  his  mind ; 
and  instead  of  turning  in  to  the  Tuileries  Gardens, 
Birotteau  walked  on  to  meet  the  notary.  Anselme 
followed  his  master  at  a  distance,  without  being  able 
to  define  the  reason  why  he  suddenly  felt  an  interest  in 
a  matter  so  apparentl}'  unimportant,  and  full  of  joy 
at  the  encouragement  he  derived  from  Cesar's  mention 
of  the  hob-nailed  shoes,  the  one  louis,  and  love. 


70  CSsar  Birotteau. 

In  times  gone  by,  Roguin  —  a  large  stout  man,  with 
a  pimpled  face,  a  very  bald  forehead,  and  black  hair  — 
had  not  been  wanting  in  a  certain  force  of  character  and 
countenance.  He  had  once  been  young  and  daring; 
beginning  as  a  mere  clerk,  he  had  risen  to  be  a  notary ; 
but  at  this  period  his  face  showed,  to  the  eyes  of  a 
keen  observer,  certain  haggard  lines,  and  an  expression 
of  weariness  in  the  pursuit  of  pleasure.  When  a  man 
plunges  into  the  mire  of  excesses  it  is  seldom  that  his 
face  shows  no  trace  of  it.  In  the  present  instance  the 
lines  of  the  wrinkles  and  the  heat  of  the  complexion 
were  markedly  ignoble.  Instead  of  the  pure  glow  which 
suffuses  the  tissues  of  a  virtuous  man  and  stamps  them, 
as  it  were,  with  the  flower  of  health,  the  impurities  of 
his  blood  could  be  seen  to  master  the  soundness  of  his 
body.  His  nose  was  ignominiously  shortened  like 
those  of  men  in  whom  scrofulous  humors,  attacking 
that  organ,  produce  a  secret  infirmity  which  a  virtuous 
queen  of  France  innocently'  believed  to  be  a  misfortune 
common  to  the  whole  human  race,  for  she  had  never 
approached  any  man  but  the  king  sufficiently  near  to 
become  aware  of  her  blunder.  Roguin  hoped  to  con- 
ceal this  misfortune  b}'  the  excessive  use  of  snuff,  but 
he  only  increased  the  trouble  which  was  the  principal 
cause  of  his  disasters. 

Is  it  not  a  too-prolonged  social  flatter}*  to  paint  men 
forever  under  false  colors,  and  never  to  reveal  the 
actual  causes  which  underlie  their  vicissitudes,  caused 
as  the}'  so  often  are  b}-  maladies  ?  Physical  evil,  con- 
sidered under  the  aspect  of  its  moral  ravages,  examined 
as  to  its  influence  upon  the  mechanism  of  Ufe,  has  been 
perhaps  too  much  neglected  by  the  historians  of  the 


CSsar  Birotteau.  71 

social  kingdom.    Madame  C^sar  had  guessed  the  secret 
of  Roguin's  household. 

From  the  night  of  her  marriage,  the  charming  and 
only  daughter  of  the  banker  Chevrel  conceived  for 
the  unhappy  notary  an  insurmountable  antipathy,  and 
wished  to  apply  at  once  for  a  divorce.  But  Roguin, 
happy  in  obtaining  a  rich  wife  with  five  hundred  thou- 
sand francs  of  her  own,  to  say  nothing  of  expectations, 
entreated  her  not  to  institute  an  action  for  divorce, 
promising  to  leave  her  free,  and  to  accept  all  the  con- 
sequences of  such  an  agreement.  Madame  Roguin  thus 
became  sovereign  mistress  of  the  situation,  and  treated 
her  husband  as  a  courtesan  treats  an  elderly  lover. 
Roguin  soon  found  his  wife  too  expensive,  and  like 
other  Parisian  husbands  he  set  up  a  private  establish- 
ment of  his  own,  keeping  the  cost,  in  the  first  instance, 
within  the  limits  of  moderate  expenditure.  In  the  be- 
ginning he  encountered,  at  no  great  expense,  grisettes 
who  were  glad  of  his  protection  ;  but  for  the  past  three 
3'ears  he  had  fallen  a  prey  to  one  of  those  unconquer- 
able passions  which  sometimes  invade  the  whole  being 
of  a  man  between  fifty  and  sixty  years  of  age.  It  was 
roused  by  a  magnificent  creature  known  as  la  belle 
JSollandaise  in  the  annals  of  prostitution,  for  into  that 
gulf  she  was  to  fall  back  and  become  a  noted  personage 
through  her  death.  She  was  originally  brought  from 
Bruges  by  a  client  of  Roguin,  who  soon  after  left  Paris 
in  consequence  of  political  events,  presenting  her  to 
the  notary  in  1815.  Roguin  bought  a  house  for  her  in 
the  Champs-ifilys^es,  furnished  it  handsomely,  and  in 
trying  to  satisfy  her  costly  caprices  had  gradually  eatea 
up  his  whole  fortune. 


72  CSsar  Birotteau. 

The  gloomy  look  on  the  notary's  face,  which  he  hast- 
ened to  lay  aside  when  he  saw  Birotteau,  grew  out 
of  certain  mysterious  circumstances  which  were  at  the 
bottom  of  the  secret  fortune  so  rapidly  acquired  by  du 
Tillet.  The  scheme  originally  planned  by  that  adven- 
turer had  changed  on  the  first  Sunday  when  he  saw,  at 
Birotteau's  house,  the  relations  existing  between  Mon- 
sieur and  Madame  Roguin.  He  had  come  there  not  so 
much  to  seduce  Madame  Cesar  as  to  obtain  the  offer  of 
her  daughter's  hand  b}'  way  of  compensation  for  frus- 
trated hopes,  and  he  found  little  diflSculty  in  renouncing 
his  purpose  when  he  discovered  that  Cesar,  whom  he 
supposed  to  be  rich,  was  in  point  of  fact  comparatively 
poor.  He  set  a  watch  on  the  notary,  wormed  himself 
into  his  confidence,  was  presented  to  la  belle  Hollan- 
daise,  made  a  study  of  their  relation  to  each  other,  and 
soon  found  that  she  threatened  to  renounce  her  lover 
if  he  limited  her  luxuries.  La  belle  HoUandaise  was 
one  of  those  mad-cap  women  who  care  nothing  as  to 
where  the  money  comes  from,  or  how  it  is  obtained, 
and  who  are  capable  of  giving  a  ball  with  the  gold 
obtained  by  a  parricide.  She  never  thought  of  the 
morrow ;  for  her  the  future  was  after  dinner,  and  the 
end  of  the  month  eternity,  even  if  she  had  bills  to  pay. 
Du  Tillet,  delighted  to  have  found  such  a  lever,  exacted 
from  la  belle  HoUandaise  a  promise  that  she  would  love 
Roguin  for  thirty  thousand  francs  a  j'ear  instead  of  fifty 
thousand,  —  a  service  which  infatuated  old  men  seldom 
forget. 

One  evening,  after  a  supper  where  the  wine  flowed 
freely,  Roguin  unbosomed  himself  to  du  Tillet  on  the 
subject  of  his  financial  diflSculties.    His  own  estate  was 


CSsar  Birotteau,  73 

tied  up  and  legally  settled  on  his  wife,  and  he  had  been 
led  by  his  fatal  passion  to  take  from  the  funds  intrusted 
to  him  by  his  clients  a  sum  which  was  akeady  more 
than  half  their  amount.  When  the  whole  were  gone, 
the  unfortunate  man  intended  to  blow  out  his  brains, 
hoping  to  mitigate  the  disgrace  of  his  conduct  by  mak- 
ing a  demand  upon  public  pity.  A  fortune,  rapid  and 
sure,  darted  before  du  Tillet's  ej'es  like  a  flash  of  light- 
ning in  a  saturnalian  night.  He  promptly  reassured 
Roguin,  and  made  him  fire  his  pistols  into  the  air. 

"With  such  risks  as  yours,"  he  said,  "a  man  of 
your  calibre  should  not  behave  like  a  fool  and  walk  on 
tiptoe,  but  speculate  —  boldly." 

He  advised  Roguin  to  take  a  large  sum  from  the  re- 
maining trust-moneys  and  give  it  to  him,  du  Tillet, 
with  permission  to  stake  it  bravely  on  some  large  oper- 
ation, either  at  the  Bourse,  or  in  one  of  the  thousand 
enterprises  of  private  speculation  then  about  to  be 
launched.  Should  he  win,  thej'  were  to  form  a  banking- 
house,  where  they  could  turn  to  good  account  a  portion 
of  the  deposits,  while  the  profits  could  be  used  by  Ro- 
guin for  his  pleasures.  If  luck  went  against  them, 
Roguin  was  to  get  awaj'  and  live  in  foreign  countries, 
and  trust  to  his  friend  du  Tillet,  who  would  be  faithful 
to  him  to  the  last  sou.  It  was  a  rope  thrown  to  a 
drowning  man,  and  Roguin  did  not  perceive  that  the 
perfumer's  clerk  had  flung  it  round  his  neck. 

Master  of  Roguin's  secret,  du  Tillet  made  use  of  it 
to  establish  his  power  over  wife,  mistress,  and  husband. 
Madame  Roguin,  when  told  of  a  disaster  she  was  far 
from  suspecting,  accepted  du  Tillet's  attentions,  who 
about  this  time  left  his  situation  with  Birotteau,  confi- 


74  CSsar  Birotteau. 

dent  of  future  success.  He  found  no  difficulty  in  per- 
suading the  mistress  to  risk  a  certain  sum  of  money  as 
a  provision  against  the  necessity  of  resorting  to  prosti- 
tution if  misfortunes  overtook  her.  The  wife,  on  the 
other  hand,  regulated  her  accounts,  and  gathered  to- 
gether quite  a  little  capital,  which  she  gave  to  the  man 
whom  her  husband  confided  in ;  for  by  this  time  the 
notary  had  given  a  hundred  thousand  francs  of  the  re- 
maining trust-money  to  his  accomplice.  Du  Tillet's 
relations  to  Madame  Roguin  then  became  such  that 
her  interest  in  him  was  transformed  into  affection 
and  finally  into  a  violent  passion.  Through  his  three 
sleeping-partners  Ferdinand  naturally  derived  a  profit ; 
but  not  content  with  that  profit,  he  had  the  audacity, 
when  gambling  at  the  Bourse  in  their  name,  to  make 
an  agreement  with  a  pretended  adversary,  a  man  of 
straw,  from  whom  he  received  back  for  himself  certain 
-sums  which  he  charged  as  losses  to  his  clients.  As 
soon  as  he  had  gained  fifty  thousand  francs  he  was  sure 
of  fortune.  He  had  the  eye  of  an  eagle  to  discern  the 
phases  through  which  France  was  then  passing.  He 
played  low  during  the  campaign  of  the  allied  armies, 
and  high  on  the  restoration  of  the  Bourbons.  Two 
months  after  the  return  of  Louis  XVIII.,  Madame  Ro- 
guin was  worth  two  hundred  thousand  francs,  du  Tillet 
three  hundred  thousand,  and  the  notary  had  been  able 
to  get  his  accounts  once  more  into  order. 

La  belle  Hollandaise  wasted  her  share  of  the  profits  ; 
for  she  was  secretly  a  prey  to  an  infamous  scoundrel 
named  Maxime  de  Trailles,  a  former  page  of  the  Em- 
pei-or.  Du  Tillet  discovered  the  real  name  of  this  wo- 
man in  drawing  out  a  deed.    She  was  Sarah  Gobseck. 


CSsar  Birotteau.  75 

Struck  by  the  coincidence  of  the  name  with  that  of  a 
well-known  usurer,  he  went  to  the  old  monej'-lender 
(that  providence  of  young  men  of  family)  to  find  out 
how  far  he  would  back  the  credit  of  his  relation.  The 
Brutus  of  usurers  was  implacable  towards  his  great- 
niece,  but  du  Tillet  himself  pleased  him  by  posing  as 
Sarah's  banker,  and  having  funds  to  invest.  The  Nor- 
man nature  and  the  rapacious  nature  suited  each  other. 
Gobseck  happened  to  want  a  clever  3'oung  man  to  ex- 
amine into  an  affair  in  a  foreign  country.  It  chanced 
that  an  auditor  of  the  Council  of  State,  overtaken  by 
the  return  of  the  Bourbons  and  anxious  to  stand  well  at 
court,  had  gone  to  Germany  and  bought  up  all  the  debts 
contracted  by  the  princes  during  the  emigration.  He 
now  offered  the  profits  of  the  affair,  which  to  him  was 
merely  political,  to  any  one  who  would  reimburse  him. 
Gobseck  would  paj'  no  money  down,  unless  in  propor- 
tion to  the  redemption  of  the  debts,  and  insisted  on  a 
careful  examination  of  the  affair.  Usurers  never  trust 
any  one  ;  they  demand  vouchers.  With  them  the  bird  in 
the  hand  is  everything ;  icy  when  thej'^  have  no  need  of 
a  man,  they  are  wheedling  and  inclined  to  be  gracious 
when  they  can  make  him  useful. 

Du  Tillet  knew  the  enormous  underground  part 
played  in  the  world  by  such  men  as  Werbrust  and 
Gigonnet,  commercial  money-lenders  in  the  Rues 
Saint-Denis  and  Saint-Martin ;  by  Palma,  banker  in 
the  Faubourg  Poissonniere,  —  all  of  whom  were  closely 
connected  with  Gobseck.  He  accordingly  offered  a 
cash  security,  and  obtained  an  interest  in  the  affair, 
on  condition  that  these  gentlemen  would  use  in  their 
commercial  loans  certain  moneys  he  should  place  in 


76  CSsar  Birotteau. 

their  hands.    B}'  this  means  he  strengthened  himself 
with  a  solid  support  on  all  sides. 

Du  Tillet  accompanied  Monsieur  Clement  Chardin 
des  Lupeaulx  to  Germany  during  the  Hundred  Days, 
and  came  back  at  the  second  Restoration,  having  done 
more  to  increase  his  means  of  making  a  fortune  than 
augmented  the  fortune  itself.  He  was  now  in  the  secret 
councils  of  the  shaipest  speculators  in  Paris ;  he  had 
secured  the  friendship  of  the  man  with  whom  he  had 
examined  into  the  affair  of  the  debts,  and  that  clever 
juggler  had  laid  bare  to  him  the  secrets  of  legal  and  po- 
litical science.  Du  Tillet  possessed  one  of  those  minds 
which  understand  at  half  a  word,  and  he  completed  his 
education  during  his  travels  in  Germany.  On  his 
return  he  found  Madame  Roguin  faithful  to  him.  As 
to  the  notar}',  he  longed  for  Ferdinand  with  as  much 
impatience  as  his  wife  did,  for  la  belle  Hollandaise  had 
once  more  ruined  him.  Du  Tillet  questioned  the  wo- 
man, but  could  find  no  outlay  equal  to  the  sum  dissi- 
pated. It  was  then  that  he  discovered  the  secret  which 
Sarah  had  carefully  concealed  from  him,  —  her  mad  pas- 
sion for  Maxime  de  Trailles,  whose  earliest  steps  in  a 
career  of  vice  showed  him  for  what  he  was,  one  of  those 
good-for-nothing  members  of  the  body  politic  who  seem 
the  necessary  evil  of  all  good  government,  and  whose 
love  of  gambling  renders  them  insatiable.  On  making 
this  discovery,  du  Tillet  at  once  saw  the  reason  of 
Gobseck's  insensibility  to  the  claims  of  his  niece. 

Under  these  circumstances  du  Tillet  the  banker  (for 
Ferdinand  was  now  a  banker)  advised  Roguin  to  lay 
up  something  against  a  rainy  day,  by  persuading  his 
clients  to  invest  in  some  enterprise  which  might  enable 


CSsar  Birotteau.  77 

him  to  put  by  for  himself  large  sums  of  money,  in  case 
he  were  forced  to  go  into  bankruptcy  through  the  affairs 
of  the  bank.  After  many  ups  and  downs,  wtiich  were 
pi'ofitable  to  none  but  Madame  Roguin  and  du  Tillet, 
Roguin  heard  the  fatal  hour  of  his  insolvency'  and  final 
ruin  strike.  His  misery  was  then  worked  upon  by  his 
faithful  friend.  Ferdinand  invented  the  speculation  in 
lands  about  the  Madeleine.  The  hundred  thousand 
francs  belonging  to  Cesar  Birotteau,  which  were  in  the 
hands  of  the  notary,  were  made  over  to  du  Tillet ;  for 
the  latter,  whose  object  was  to  ruin  the  perfumer,  had 
made  Roguin  understand  that  he  would  run  less  risk 
if  he  got  his  nearest  friends  into  the  nett  "  A  friend," 
he  said,  "  is  more  considerate,  even  if  angry." 

Few  people  realize  to-day  how  little  value  the  lands 
about  the  Madeleine  had  at  the  period  of  which  we  write  ; 
but  at  that  time  they  were  likelj-  to  be  sold  even  below 
their  then  value,  because  of  the  difficulty  of  finding  pur- 
chasers willing  to  wait  for  the  profits  of  the  enterprise. 
Now,  du  Tillet's  aim  was  to  seize  the  profits  speedily 
without  the  losses  of  a  protracted  speculation.  In  other 
words,  his  plan  was  to  strangle  the  speculation  and  get 
hold  of  it  as  a  dead  thing,  which  he  might  galvanize 
back  to  life  when  it  suited  him.  In  such  a  scheme  the 
Gobsecks,  Palmas,  and  Werbrusts  would  have  been 
ready  to  lend  a  hand,  but  du  Tillet  was  not  3'et  suffi- 
ciently intimate  with  them  to  ask  their  aid ;  besides,  he 
wanted  to  hide  his  own  hand  in  conducting  the  affair, 
that  he  might  get  the  profits  of  his  theft  without  the 
shame  of  it.  He  felt  the  necessit}'^  of  having  under  his 
thumb  one  of  those  living  lay-figures  called  in  commer- 
cial language  a  "  man  of  straw."    His  former  tool  at  the 


78  Cimr  Birotteau. 

Bourse  struck  him  as  a  suitable  person  for  the  post; 
he  accordingly  trenched  upon  Divine  right,  and  created 
a  man.  Out  of  a  former  commercial  traveller,  who  was 
without  means  or  capacity  of  any  kind,  except  that 
of  talking  indefinitely  on  all  subjects  and  saying  noth- 
ing, who  was  without  a  farthing  or  a  chance  to  make 
one,  —  able?,  nevertheless,  to  understand  a  part  and  act 
it  without  compromising  the  play  or  the  actors  in  it, 
and  possessed  of  a  rare  sort  of  honor,  that  of  keeping 
a  secret  and  letting  himself  be  dishonored  to  screen  his 
emplo^-ers,  —  out  of  such  a  being  du  Tillet  now  made 
a  banker,  who  set  on  foot  and  directed  vast  enterprises ; 
the  head,  namely,  of  the  house  of  Claparon. 

The  fate  of  Charles  Claparon  would  be,  if  du  Tillet's 
scheme  ended  in  bankruptcy,  a  swift  deliverance  to  the 
tender  mercies  of  Jews  and  Pharisees ;  and  he  well 
knew  it.  But  to  a  poor  devil  who  was  despondently 
roaming  the  boulevard  with  a  future  of  forty  sous  in  his 
pocket  when  his  old  comrade  du  TiUet  chanced  to  meet 
him,  the  little  gains  that  he  was  to  get  out  of  the  affair 
seemed  an  Eldorado.  His  friendship,  his  devotion, 
to  du  Tillet,  increased  by  unreflecting  gratitude  and 
stimulated  by  the  wants  of  a  libertine  and  vagabond 
life,  led  him  to  say  amen  to  everything.  Having  sold 
his  honor,  he  saw  it  risked  with  so  much  caution  that 
he  ended  by  attaching  himself  to  his  old  comrade  as 
a  dog  to  his  master.  Claparon  was  an  ugly  poodle, 
but  as  ready  to  jump  as  Curtius.  In  the  present  affair 
he  was  to  represent  half  the  purchasers  of  the  land, 
while  Cesar  Birotteau  represented  the  other  half.  The 
notes  which  Claparon  was  to  receive  from  Birotteau 
were  to  be  discounted  by  one  of  the  usurers  whose  name 


CSsar  Birotteau.  79 

du  Tillet  was  authorized  to  use,  and  this  would  send 
C^sar  headlong  into  bankruptcy  so  soon  as  Roguin  had 
drawn  from  him  his  last  funds.  The  assignees  of  the 
failure  would,  as  du  Tillet  felt  certain,  follow  his  cue ; 
and  he,  already  possessed  of  the  property  paid  over  by 
the  perfumer  and  his  associates,  could  sell  the  lands 
at  auction  and  buy  them  in  at  half  their  value  with  the 
funds  of  Roguin  and  the  assets  of  the  failure.  The 
notary  went  into  this  scheme  believing  that  he  should 
enrich  himself  by  the  spoliation  of  Birotteau  and  his 
copartners  ;  but  the  man  in  whose  power  he  had  placed 
himself  intended  to  take,  and  eventually  did  take,  the 
lion's  share.  Roguin,  unable  to  sue  du  Tillet  in  any 
of  the  courts,  was  glad  of  the  bone  flung  to  him,  month 
by  month,  in  the  recesses  of  Switzerland,  where  he 
found  nymphs  at  a  reduction.  Circumstances,  actual 
facts,  and  not  the  imagination  of  a  tragic  author 
inventing  a  catastrophe,  gave  birth  to  this  horrible 
scheme.  Hatred  without  a  thirst  for  vengeance  is  like 
a  seed  falling  on  stony  ground ;  but  vengeance  vowed 
to  a  Cesar  by  a  du  Tillet  is  a  natural  movement  of 
the  soul.  If  it  were  not,  then  we  must  deny  the  war- 
fare between  the  angels  of  light  and  the  spirits  of 
darkness. 

Du  Tillet  could  not  very  easily  assassinate  the  man 
who  knew  him  to  be  guilty  of  a  petty  theft,  but  he  could 
fling  him  into  the  mire  and  annihilate  him  so  com- 
pletely that  his  word  and  testimony  would  count  for 
nothing.  For  a  long  time  revenge  had  germinated  in 
his  heart  without  budding ;  for  the  men  who  hate  most 
are  usually  those  who  have  little  time  in  Paris  to  make 
plans ;  life  is  too  fast,  too  full,  too  much  at  the  mercy 


80  CSsar  Birotteau. 

of  unexpected  events.  But  such  perpetual  changes, 
though  thej'^  hinder  premeditation,  nevertheless  offer 
opportunity  to  thoughts  lurking  in  the  depths  of  a 
purpose  which  is  strong  enough  to  lie  in  wait  for  their 
tidal  chances.  "When  Roguin  first  confided  his  troubles 
to  du  Tillet,  the  latter  had  vaguely  foreseen  the  possi- 
bility of  destroying  C^sar,  and  he  was  not  mistaken. 
Forced  at  last  to  give  up  his  mistress,  the  notary  drank 
the  dregs  of  his  philter  from  a  broken  chalice.  He 
went  every  day  to  the  Champs  Elysees  returning  home 
early  in  the  morning.  The  suspicions  of  Madame 
Cesar  were  justified. 

From  the  moment  when  a  man  consents  to  play  the 
part  which  du  Tillet  had  allotted  to  Roguin,  he  devel- 
ops the  talents  of  a  comedian  ;  he  has  the  eye  of  a  l^'nx 
and  the  penetration  of  a  seer ;  he  magnetizes  his  dupe. 
The  notary  had  seen  Birotteau  some  time  before  Birot- 
teau had  caught  sight  of  him ;  when  the  perfumer  did 
see  him,  Roguin  held  out  his  hand  before  they  met. 

"  I  have  just  been  to  make  the  will  of  a  great  per- 
sonage who  has  only  eight  daj^s  to  live,"  he  said,  with 
an  easy  manner.  "  They  have  treated  me  like  a  coun- 
try doctor,  —  fetched  me  in  a  carriage,  and  let  me  walk 
home  on  foot." 

These  words  chased  away  the  slight  shade  of  sus- 
picion which  clouded  the  face  of  the  perfumer,  and 
which  Roguin  had  been  quick  to  perceive.  The  notary 
was  careful  not  to  be  the  first  to  mention  the  land 
speculation ;  his  part  was  to  deal  the  last  blow. 

' '  Afte'r  wills  come  marriage  contracts,"  said  Birotteau. 
*'  Such  is  life.    Apropos,  when  do  we  marry  the  Made- 


CSsar  Birotteau.  81 

leine?  Hey!  hey!  papa  Roguin,"  he  added,  tapping 
the  notary  on  the  stomach. 

Among  men  the  most  chaste  of  bourgeois  have  the 
ambition  to  appear  rakish. 

"Well,  if  it  is  not  to-day,"  said  the  notary  with 
a  diplomatic  air,  "  then  never.  We  are  afraid  that  the 
affair  may  get  wind.  I  am  much  urged  by  two  of  my 
wealthiest  clients,  who  want  a  share  in  the  speculation. 
There  it  is,  to  take  or  leave.  This  morning  I  shall 
draw  the  deeds.  You  have  till  one  o'clock  to  make  up 
your  mind.  Adieu ;  I  am  just  on  my  way  to  read  over 
the  rough  draught  which  Xandrot  has  been  making  out 
during  the  night. 

"  Well,  my  mind  is  made  up.  I  pass  my  word,", 
said  Birotteau,  running  after  the  notary  and  seizing  his 
hand.  "  Take  the  hundred  thousand  francs  which  were 
laid  by  for  my  daughter's  portion." 

"  Very  good,"  said  Roguin,  leaving  him. 

For  a  moment,  as  Birotteau  turned  to  rejoin  little 
Popinot,  he  felt  a  fierce  heat  in  his  entrails,  the  muscles 
of  his  stomach  contracted,  his  ears  buzzed. 

"What  is  the  matter,  monsieur?"  asked  the  clerk, 
when  he  saw  his  master's  pale  face. 

"  Ah,  my  lad  !  I  have  just  with  one  word  decided  on 
a  great  undertaking ;  no  man  is  master  of  himself  at 
such  a  moment.  You  are  a  party  to  it.  In  fact,  I 
brought  you  here  that  we  might  talk  of  it  at  our  ease ; 
no  one  can  overhear  us.  Your  aunt  is  in  trouble  ;  how 
did  she  lose  her  money?    Tell  me." 

"  Monsieur,  my  uncle  and  aunt  put  all  their  property 
into  the  hands  of  Monsieur  de  Nucingen,  and  they  were 
forced  to  accept  as  security  certain  shares  in  the  mines 

e 


82  CSsar  Birotteau. 

at  Wortschin,  which  as  yet  pay  no  dividends ;  and  it 
is  hard  at  their  age  to  live  on  hope." 

"  How  do  they  live,  then?" 

"They  do  me  the  great  pleasure  of  accepting  my 
salary." 

"Right,  right,  Anselmel"  said  the  perfumer,  as  a 
tear  rolled  down  his  cheek.  "You  are  worthy  of  the 
regard  I  feel  for  you.  You  are  about  to  receive  a  great 
recompense  for  your  fidelity  to  my  interests." 

As  he  said  these  words  the  worthy  man  swelled  in 
his  own  eyes  as  much  as  he  did  in  those  of  Popinot,  and 
he  uttered  them  with  a  plebeian  and  naive  emphasis 
which  was  the  genuine  expression  of  his  counterfeit 
superiority. 

"Ah,  monsieur !  have  you  guessed  my  love  for  —  " 

"  For  whom?"  asked  his  master. 

"  For  Mademoiselle  Cesarine." 

"Ah,  boy,  you  are  bold  indeed! "  exclaimed  Birot- 
teau. "  Keep  your  secret.  I  promise  to  forget  it. 
You  leave  my  house  to-morrow.  I  am  not  angry  with 
you ;  in  your  place  ■ —  the  devil !  the  devil !  —  I  should 
have  done  the  same.    She  is  so  lovel}"^ !  " 

"  Oh,  monsieur!  "  said  the  clerk,  who  felt  his  shirt 
getting  wet  with  perspiration. 

"  My  boy,  this  matter  is  not  one  to  be  settled  in  a 
day.  Cesarine  is  her  own  mistress,  and  her  mother  has 
fixed  ideas.  Control  yourself,  wipe  3'our  eyes,  hold  your 
heart  in  hand,  and  don't  let  us  talk  any  more  about  it. 
I  should  not  blush  to  have  you  fior  my  son-in-law.  The 
nephew  of  Monsieur  Popinot,  a  judge  of  the  civil  courts, 
nephew  of  the  Ragons,  3'ou  have  the  right  to  make  your 
way  as  well  as  anybody ;  but  there  are  buts  and  if 8  and 


C6%aT  Birotteau.  88 

hows  and  whys.  What  a  devil  of  a  dog  you  have  let 
loose  upon  me,  in  the  midst  of  a  business  conversation ! 
Here,  sit  down  on  that  chair,  and  let  the  lover  give  place  " 
to  the  clerk.  Popinot,  are  you  a  loyal  man  ?  "  he  said, 
looking  fixedly  at  the  youth.  "  Do  you  feel  within  you 
the  nerve  to  struggle  with  something  stronger  than 
yourself,  and  fight  hand  to  hand?" 

"  Yes,  monsieur." 

*'To  maintain  a  long  and  dangerous  battle?" 

"What  for?" 

"  To  destroy  Macassar  Oil !  "  said  Birotteau,  rising 
on  his  toes  like  a  hero  in  Plutarch.  "  Let  us  not  mis- 
take ;  the  enemy  is  strong,  well  intrenched,  formidable  ! 
Macassar  Oil  has  been  vigorously  launched.  The  con- 
ception was  strong.  The  square  bottles  were  original ; 
I  have  thought  of  making  ours  triangular.  Yet  on  the 
whole  I  prefer,  after  ripe  reflection,  smaller  bottles  of 
thin  glass,  incased  in  wicker ;  they  would  have  a  mys- 
terious look,  and  customers  like  things  which  puzzle 
them." 

"They  would  be  expensive,"  said  Popinot.  "We 
must  get  things  out  as  cheap  as  we  can,  so  as  to  make 
a  good  reduction  at  wholesale." 

"  Good,  my  lad  !  That's  the  right  principle.  But 
now,  think  of  it.  Macassar  Oil  will  defend  itself;  it 
is  specious ;  the  name  is  seductive.  It  is  oflered  as  a 
foreign  importation  ;  and  we  have  the  ill-luck  to  belong 
to  our  own  country.  Come,  Popinot,  have  you  the 
courage  to  kill  Macassar?  Then  begin  the  fight  in 
foreign  lands.  It  seems  that  Macassar  is  really  in  the 
Indies.  Now,  is  n't  it  much  better  to  supply  a  French 
product  to  the  Indians  than  to  send  them  back  what 


84  CSsar  Birotteau. 

they  are  supposed  to  send  us?  Make  the  venture. 
Begin  the  fight  in  India,  in  foreign  countries,  in  the 
departments.  Macassar  Oil  has  been  thoroughly  adver- 
tised ;  we  must  not  underrate  its  power,  it  has  been 
pushed  everywhere,  the  public  knows  it." 

*'  I  '11  kill  it !  "  cried  Popinot,  with  fire  in  his  eyes. 

"What  with?"  said  Birotteau.  "That's  the  way 
with  ardent  young  people.     Listen  till  I've  done." 

Anselme  fell  into  position  like  a  soldier  presenting 
arms  to  a  marshal  of  France. 

"  Popinot,  I  have  invented  an  oil  to  stimulate  the 
growth  of  hair,  to  titillate  the  scalp,  to  revive  the  color 
of  male  and  female  tresses.  This  cosmetic  will  not  be 
less  successful  than  my  Paste  or  my  Lotion.  But  I 
don't  intend  to  work  it  myself.  I  think  of  retiring  from 
business.  It  is  you,  my  boy,  who  are  to  launch  my  Oil 
Comagene,  —  from  the  latin  word  coma,  which  signi- 
fies '  hair,'  as  Monsieur  Alibert,  the  King's  physician, 
says.  The  word  is  found  in  the  tragedy  of  Berenice, 
where  Racine  introduces  a  king  of  Comagene,  lover  of 
the  queen  so  celebrated  for  the  beauty  of  her  hair ;  the 
king  —  no  doubt  as  a  delicate  flattery  —  gave  the  name 
to  his  country.  What  wit  and  intellect  there  is  in 
genius !  it  condescends  to  the  minutest  details." 

Little  Popinot  kept  his  countenance  as  he  listened  to 
this  absurd  flourish,  evidently  said  for  his  benefit  as 
an  educated  j'oung  man. 

"Anselme,  I  have  cast  my  eyes  upon  you  as  the 
one  to  found  a  commercial  house  in  the  high-class 
druggist  line,  Rue  des  Lombards.  I  will  be  j'our 
secret  partner,  and  supply'  the  funds  to  start  with. 
After  the  Oil  Comagene,  we  will  try  an  essence  of 


C!6%ar  Birotteau.  85 

vanilla  and  the  spirit  of  peppermint.  We'll  tackle 
the  drug- trade  by  revolutionizing  it,  by  selling  its 
products  concentrated  instead  of  selling  them  raw. 
Ambitious  j'oung  man,  are  you  satisfied?" 

Anselme  could  not  answer,  his  heart  was  full;  but 
his  ejes,  filled  with  tears,  answered  for  him.  The 
offer  seemed  prompted  by  indulgent  fatherhood,  saying 
to  him :  ' '  Deserve  Cesarine  by  becoming  rich  and 
respected." 

"  Monsieur,"  he  answered  at  last,  "I  will  succeed  !  " 

''That's  what  I  said  at  your  age,"  cried  the  per- 
fumer; "that  was  my  motto.  If  you  don't  win  my 
daughter,  at  least  jou  will  win  your  fortune.  Eh, 
boy!  what  is  it?" 

"Let  me  hope  that  in  acquiring  the  one  I  may  obtain 
the  other." 

"I  can't  prevent  you  from  hoping,  my  friend,"  said 
Birotteau,  touched  by  Anselme's  tone. 

"  Well,  then,  monsieur,  can  I  begin  to-day  to  look 
for  a  shop,  so  as  to  start  at  once?" 

"  Yes,  my  son.  To-morrow  we  will  shut  ourselves 
up  in  the  workshop,  j'ou  and  I.  Before  jou  go  to  the 
Rue  des  Lombards,  call  at  Livingston's  and  ask  if  my 
hydraulic  press  will  be  ready  to  use  to-morrow  morning. 
To-night  we  will  go,  about  dinner-time,  to  the  good  and 
illustrious  Monsieur  Vauquelin  and  consult  him.  He 
has  lately  been  employed  in  studying  the  composition 
of  hair ;  he  has  discovered  the  nature  of  the  coloring 
matter  and  whence  it  comes ;  also  the  structure  of 
the  hair  itself.  The  secret  is  just  there,  Popinot,  and 
you  shall  know  it;  all  we  have  to  do  is  to  work  it 
out  cleverly.    Before  you  go  to  Livingston's,  just  stop 


86  CSmr  Birotteau. 

at  Pieri  Bdrard's.  My  lad,  the  disinterested  kindness 
of  Monsieur  Vauquelin  is  one  of  the  sorrows  of  my 
life.  I  cannot  make  him  accept  any  return.  Happily, 
I  found  out  from  ChiffreviUe  that  he  wished  for  the 
Dresden  Madonna,  engi-aved  by  a  man  named  Muller. 
After  two  years  correspondence  with  Germany,  Berard 
has  at  last  found  one  on  Chinese  paper  before  lettering. 
It  cost  fifteen  hundred  francs,  my  boj'.  To-day,  m}'^ 
benefactor  will  see  it  in  his  antechamber  when  he  bows 
us  out ;  it  is  to  be  all  framed,  and  I  want  you  to  see 
about  it.  We  —  that  is,  my  wife  and  I  —  shall  thus 
recall  ourselves  to  his  mind ;  as  for  gratitude,  we  have 
praj'ed  to  God  for  him  daily  for  sixteen  years.  I  can 
never  forget  him  ;  but  you  see,  Popinot,  men  buried  in 
the  depths  of  science  do  forget  everything,  —  wives, 
friends,  and  those  they  have  benefited.  As  for  us  plain 
people,  our  lack  of  mind  keeps  our  hearts  warm  at  any 
rate.  That 's  the  consolation  for  not  being  a  great  man. 
Look  at  those  gentlemen  of  the  Institute,  —  all  brain ; 
you  will  never  meet  one  of  them  in  a  church.  Monsieur 
Vauquelin  is  tied  to  his  study  or  his  laboratory ;  but 
I  like  to  believe  he  thinks  of  God  in  analyzing  the 
works  of  His  hands.  —  Now,  then,  it  is  understood ;  I 
give  3^ou  the  money  and  put  you  in  possession  of  my 
secret ;  we  will  go  shares,  and  there 's  no  need  for  any 
papers  between  us.  Hurrah  for  success !  we  '11  act  in 
concert.  Off  with  you,  my  boy !  As  for  me,  I  've  got 
my  part  to  attend  to.  One  minute,  Popinot.  I  give 
a  great  ball  three  weeks  hence ;  get  yourself  a  dress- 
coat,  and  look  like  a  merchant  already  launched." 

This  last  kindness  touched  Popinot  so  deeply  that  he 
caught  Cesar's  big  hand  and  kissed  it ;  the  worthy  soul 


CSsar  Birotteau.  87 

had  flattered  the  lover  by  this  confidence,  and  people 
in  love  are  capable  of  anything. 

"  Poor  boy  ! "  thought  Birotteau,  as  he  watched  him 
hurrying  across  the  Tuileries.  "  Suppose  C^sarine 
should  love  him  ?  But  he  is  lame,  and  his  hair  is  the 
color  of  a  warming-pan.  Young  girls  are  queer ;  still, 
I  don't  think  that  Cesarine  —  And  then  her  mother 
wants  to  see  her  the  wife  of  a  notary.  Alexandre 
Crottat  can  make  her  rich ;  wealth  makes  everything 
bearable,  and  there  is  no  happiness  that  won't  give 
way  under  poverty.  However,  I  am  resolved  to  leave 
my  daughter  mistress  of  herself,  even  if  it  seems 
a  foUy." 


88  C6iar  Birotteau. 


IV, 


BraoTTEAu's  neighbor  was  a  small  dealer  in  umbrellas, 
parasols,  and  canes,  named  CajTon,  —  a  man  from  Lan- 
guedoc,  doing  a  poor  business,  whom  Cesar  had  several 
times  befriended.  Cayron  wished  nothing  better  than 
to  confine  himself  to  the  ground-floor  and  let  the  rich 
perfumer  take  the  floor  above  it,  thus  diminishing  his 
rent. 

"  Well,  neighbor,"  said  Birotteau  familiarly,  as  he 
entered  the  man's  shop,  "  my  wife  consents  to  the  en- 
largement of  our  premises.  If  you  like,  we  will  go  and 
see  Monsieur  Molineux  at  eleven  o'clock." 

"  My  dear  Monsieur  Birotteau,"  said  the  umbrella- 
man,  "I  have  not  asked  you  any  compensation  for 
this  cession ;  but  3'ou  are  aware  that  a  good  merchant 
ought  to  make  money  out  of  everything." 

"What  the  devil!"  cried  Birotteau.  "I'm  not 
made  of  money.  I  don't  know  that  my  architect  can 
do  the  thing  at  all.  He  told  me  that  before  concluding 
m}'  arrangements  I  must  know  whether  the  floors  were 
on  the  same  level.  Then,  supposing  Monsieur  Moli- 
neux does  allow  me  to  cut  a  door  in  the  wall,  is  it 
a  party-wall?  Moreover,  I  have  to  turn  my  staircase, 
and  make  a  new  landing,  so  as  to  get  a  passage-way 
on  the  same  floor.  All  that  costs  money,  and  I  don't 
•want  to  ruin  myself." 


C6%ar  Birotteau.  89 

*'  Oh,  monsieur,"  said  the  southerner.  "Before  you 
are  ruined,  the  sun  will  have  married  the  earth  and 
they'll  have  had  children." 

Birotteau  stroked  his  chin,  rose  on  the  points  of  his 
toes,  and  fell  back  upon  his  heels. 

"Besides,"  resumed  Cayron  "all  I  ask  you  to  do 
is  to  cash  these  securities  for  me  —  " 

And  he  held  out  sixteen  notes  amounting  in  all  to 
five  thousand  francs. 

"  Ah  ! "  said  the  perfumer  turning  them  over.  "  Small 
fry,  two  months,  three  months —  " 

"Take  them  as  low  as  six  per  cent,"  said  the 
umbrella-man  humbly. 

"  Am  I  a  usurer?"  asked  the  perfumer  reproachfully. 

"What  can  I  do,  monsieur?  I  went  to  30ur  old 
clerk,  du  Tillet,  and  he  would  not  take  them  at  any 
price.  No  doubt  he  wanted  to  find  out  how  much  I  'd 
be  willing  to  lose  on  them." 

"  I  don't  know  those  signatures,"  said  the  perfumer. 

"  We  have  such  queer  names  in  canes  and  umbrellas  ; 
they  belong  to  the  peddlers." 

"Well,  I  won't  say  that  I  will  take  all;  but  I'll 
manage  the  short  ones." 

"For  the  want  of  a  thousand  francs  —  sure  to  be 
repaid  in  four  months  —  don't  throw  me  into  the  hands 
of  the  blood-suckers  who  get  the  best  of  our  profits ; 
do  take  all,  monsieur !  I  do  so  little  in  the  way  of  dis- 
count that  I  have  no  credit ;  that  is  what  kills  us  little 
retailers." 

"  Well,  I'll  cash  your  notes  ;  Cdlestin  will  make  out 
the  account.  Be  ready  at  eleven,  will  you?  There's 
my  architect,  Monsieur  Grindot,"  said  the  perfumer, 


90  Cisar  Birotteau. 

catching  sight  of  the  young  man,  with  whom  he  had 
made  an  appointment  at  Monsieur  de  la  Billardiere's 
the  night  before. 

"  Contrary  to  the  custom  of  men  of  talent  you  are 
punctual,  monsieur,"  said  Cesar,  displaying  his  finest 
commercial  graces.  ' '  If  punctuality,  in  the  words  of  our 
king,  —  a  man  of  wit  as  well  as  a  statesman,  —  is  the 
politeness  of  princes,  it  is  also  the  wealth  of  merchants. 
Time,  time,  is  gold,  especially  to  you  artists.  I  permit 
myself  to  say  to  you  that  architecture  is  the  union  of 
all  the  arts.  We  wiU  not  enter  through  the  shop,"  he 
added,  opening  the  private  door  of  his  house. 

Four  years  earlier  Monsieur  Grindot  had  carried  off 
the  grand prix  in  architecture,  and  had  lately  returned 
from  Rome  where  he  had  spent  three  years  at  the  cost 
of  the  State.  In  Italy  the  young  man  had  dreamed  of 
art ;  in  Paris  he  thought  of  fortune.  Government  alone 
can  pay  the  needful  millions  to  raise  an  architect  to 
glory ;  it  is  therefore  natural  that  every  ambitious 
youth  of  that  calling,  returning  from  Rome  and  think- 
ing himself  a  Fontaine  or  a  Percier,  should  bow  before 
the  administration.  The  liberal  student  became  a  roy- 
alist, and  sought  to  win  the  favor  of  influential  persons. 
When  a  grand  prix  man  behaves  thus,  his  comrades 
call  him  a  trimmer.  The  young  architect  in  question 
had  two  ways  open  to  him, — either  to  serve  the  per- 
fumer well,  or  put  him  under  contribution.  Birotteau 
the  deputy-mayor,  Birotteau  the  future  possessor  of  half 
the  lands  about  the  Madeleine,  where  he  would  sooner 
or  later  build  up  a  fine  neighborhood,  was  a  man  to 
keep  on  good  terms  with.  Grindot  accordingly  resolved 
to  sacrifice  his  immediate  gains  to  his  future  interests. 


CS%ar  Birotteau.  91 

He  listened  patiently  to  the  plans,  the  repetitions,  and 
the  ideas  of  this  worthy  specimen  of  the  bourgeois 
class,  the  constant  butt  of  the  witty  shafts  and  ridicule 
of  artists,  and  the  object  of  their  everlasting  contempt, 
nodding  his  head  as  if  to  show  the  perfumer  that  he 
caught  his  ideas.  When  Cesar  had  thoroughly  explained 
everything,  the  young  man  proceeded  to  sum  up  for  him 
his  own  plan. 

"  You  have  now  three  front  windows  on  the  first 
floor,  besides  the  window  on  the  staircase  which  lights 
the  landing ;  to  these  four  windows  you  mean  to  add 
two  on  the  same  level  in  the  next  house,  by  turning  the 
staircase,  so  as  to  open  a  way  from  one  house  to  the 
other  on  the  street  side." 

"  You  have  understood  me  perfectly,"  said  the 
perfumer,  surprised. 

"To  carry  out  your  plan,  you  must  light  the  new 
staircase  from  above,  and  manage  to  get  a  porter's 
lodge  beneath  it." 

"Beneath  it?" 

"  Yes,  the  space  over  which  it  rests  —  " 

"I  understand,  monsieur." 

"As  for  your  own  appartement,  give  me  carte- 
blanche  to  arrange  and  decorate  it.  I  wish  to  make 
it  worthy  —  " 

"  Worthy  !    You  have  said  the  word,  monsieur." 

"How  much  time  do  you  give  me  to  complete  the 
work?" 

"  Twenty  daj's." 

"What  sum  do  you  mean  to  put  in  the  workmen's 
pockets  ?  "  asked  Grindot. 

"How  much  do  you  think  it  wiD  cost? " 


92  CSsar  Birotteau. 

*'  An  architect  can  estimate  on  a  new  building 
almost  to  a  farthing,"  answered  the  young  man ;  "  but 
as  I  don't  know  how  to  deal  with  a  bourgeois  —  ah! 
excuse  me,  monsieur,  the  word  slipped  out — I  must 
warn  you  that  it  is  impossible  to  calculate  the  costs 
of  tearing  down  and  rebuilding.  It  will  take  at  least 
eight  dajs  before  I  can  give  even  an  approximate  idea 
of  them.  Trust  yourself  to  me :  you  shall  have  a 
charming  staircase,  lighted  from  above,  with  a  pretty 
vestibule  opening  from  the  street,  and  in  the  space 
under  the  stairway  —  " 

"Must  that  be  used?" 

"Don't  be  worried  —  I  will  find  room  for  a  little 
porter's  lodge.  Your  house  shall  be  studied  and  re- 
modelled con  amort.  Yes,  monsieur,  I  look  to  art 
and  not  to  fortune.  Above  all  things  I  do  not  want 
fame  before  I  have  earned  it.  To  my  mind,  the  best 
means  of  winning  credit  is  not  to  play  into  the  hands 
of  contractors,  but  to  get  at  good  effects  cheapl3\" 

"  With  such  ideas,  young  man,"  said  Birotteau  in  a 
patronizing  tone,  "you  will  succeed." 

"  Therefore,"  resumed  Grindot,  "  employ  the  masons, 
painters,  locksmiths,  carpenters,  and  upholsterers  j'our- 
self.  I  will  simply  look  over  their  accounts.  Pay 
me  onl}'  two  thousand  francs  commission.  It  will  be 
money  well  laid  out.  Give  me  the  premises  to-morrow 
at  twelve  o'clock,  and  have  your  workmen  on  the 
spot." 

"How  much  will  it  cost,  at  a  rough  guess?"  said 
Birotteau. 

"  From  ten  to  twelve  thousand  francs,"  said  Grindot. 
"  That  does  not  count  the  furniture  ;  of  course  you  will 


CSsar  Birotteau.  93 

renew  that.  Give  me  the  address  of  your  cabinet- 
maker ;  I  shall  have  to  arrange  with  him  about  the 
choiqe  of  colors,  so  as  to  have  everything  in  keeping." 

"  Monsieur  Braschon,  Rue  Saint- Antoine,  takes  my 
orders,"  said  Birotteau,  assuming  a  ducal  air. 

The  architect  wrote  down  the  address  in  one  of 
those  pretty  note-books  which  invariably  come  from 
women. 

"Well,"  said  Birotteau,  "I  trust  to  j^ou,  monsieur; 
only  you  must  wait  till  the  lease  of  the  adjoining  house 
is  made  over  to  me,  and  I  get  permission  to  cut  through 
the  wall." 

"  Send  me  a  note  this  evening,"  said  the  architect ; 
"it  will  take  me  all  night  to  draw  the  plans  —  we 
would  rather  work  for  a  bourgeois  than  for  the  King 
of  Prussia,  that  is  to  say  for  ourselves.  I  will  now 
take  the  dimensions,  the  pitch,  the  size  of  the  win- 
dows, the  pictures  —  " 

"It  must  be  finished  on  the  appointed  day,"  said 
Birotteau.    "If  not,  no  pajV 

"  It  shall  be  done,"  said  the  architect.  "The  work- 
men must  do  without  sleep ;  we  will  use  drying  oil  in 
the  paint.  But  don't  let  yourself  be  taken  in  by  the 
contractors ;  always  ask  their  price  in  advance,  and 
have  a  written  agreement." 

"  Paris  is  the  only  place  in  the  world  where  you  can 
wave  a  magic  wand  like  that,"  said  Birotteau,  with  an 
Asiatic  gesture  worthy  of  the  Arabian  Nights.  "  You 
will  do  me  the  honor  to  come  to  my  ball,  monsieur? 
Men  of  talent  are  not  all  disdainful  of  commerce ;  and 
you  will  meet  a  scientific  man  of  the  first  order.  Mon- 
sieur Vauquelin  of  the  Institute ;  also  Monsieur  de  la 


94  CSsar  Birotteau. 

Billardiere,  Monsieur  le  comte  de  Fontaine,  Monsieur 
Lebas,  judge  and  president  of  the  Court  of  commerce, 
various  magistrates,  Monsieur  le  comte  de  Grandville 
of  the  royal  suite.  Monsieur  Popinot  of  the  Lower 
court,  Monsieur  Camusot  of  the  Court  of  commerce, 
and  Monsieur  Cardot,  his  father-in-law,  and,  perhaps, 
Monsieur  le  due  de  LenoncoUrt,  first  gentleman  of  the 
bed-chamber  to  the  king.  I  assemble  my  friends  as 
much  —  to  celebrate  the  emancipation  of  our  territory 
—  as  to  commemorate  my  —  promotion  to  the  order  of 
the  Legion  of  honor, "  —  here  Grindot  made  a  curious 
gesture.  "  Possibly  I  showed  m^'self  worthj-  of  that  — 
signal  —  and  rojal  —  favor,  by  my  services  on  the 
bench,  and  by  fighting  for  the  Bourbons  upon  tlie  steps 
of  Saint-Roch  on  the  13th  Vendemiaire,  where  I  was 
wounded  by  Napoleon.     These  claims  —  " 

Constance,  in  a  morning  gown,  here  came  out  of  her 
daughter's  bedroom,  where  she  had  been  dressing;  her 
first  glance  cut  short  Cesar's  eloquence  just  as  he  was 
about  to  formulate  in  flowing  phrase,  though  modestly, 
the  tale  of  his  merits. 

"  Tiens,  mimi,  this  is  Monsieur  de  Grindot,  a  young 
man  distinguished  in  his  own  sphere  of  life,  and  the 
possessor  of  a  great  talent.  Monsieur  is  tlie  architect 
recommended  to  us  b^'  Monsieur  de  la  Billardiere  to 
superintend  our  little  alterations." 

The  perfumer  slipped  behind  his  wife  and  made 
a  sign  to  the  architect  to  take  notice  of  the  word 
little,  putting  his  finger  on  his  lips.  Grindot  took 
the  cue. 

"  Will  it  be  very  expensive?"  said  Constance  to  the 
architect. 


CSiar  Birotteau.  95 

"  Oh,  no,  madame ;  six  thousand  francs  at  a  rough 
guess." 

"A  rough  guess!"  exclaimed  Madame  Birotteau. 
"Monsieur,  I  entreat  you,  begin  nothing  without  an 
estimate  and  the  specifications  signed.  I  know  the 
ways  of  contractors :  six  thousand  francs  means  twenty 
thousand.  We  are  not  in  a  position  to  commit  such 
extravagance.  I  beg  you,  monsieur,  —  though  of 
course  my  husband  is  master  in  his  own  house,  — 
give  him  time  to  reflect." 

"Madame,  monsieur  the  deputy-mayor  has  ordered 
me  to  deliver  the  premises,  all  finished,  in  twenty  days. 
If  we  delay,  you  will  be  likely  to  incur  the  expense 
without  obtaining  the  looked-for  result." 

"There  are  expenses  and  expenses,"  said  the  hand- 
some mistress  of  "  The  Queen  of  Roses." 

"  Ah !  madame,  do  you  think  an  architect  who  seeks 
to  put  up  public  buildings  finds  it  glorious  to  decorate 
a  mere  appartement?  I  have  come  down  to  such  de- 
tails merely  to  oblige  Monsieur  de  la  Billardiere ;  and 
if  you  fear  —  " 

Here  he  made  a  movement  to  retreat. 

"  Well,  well,  monsieur,"  said  Constance  re-entering 
her  daughter's  room,  where  she  threw  her  head  on 
C^sarine's  shoulder. 

"Ah,  my  daughter!"  she  cried,  "your  father  will 
ruin  himself!  He  has  engaged  an  architect  with  mus- 
tachios,  who  talks  about  public  buildings !  He  is 
going  to  pitch  the  house  out  of  windows  and  build  us 
a  Louvre.  C^sar  is  never  idle  about  his  follies ;  he 
only  spoke  to  me  about  it  in  the  night,  and  he  begins 
it  in  the  morning  1 " 


96  CSmr  Birotteau. 

"Never  mind,  mamma;  let  papa  do  as  he  likes. 
The  good  God  has  alwa^'s  taken  care  of  him,"  said 
C^sarine,  kissing  her  mother  and  sitting  down  to  the 
piano,  to  let  the  architect  know  that  the  perfumer's 
daughter  was  not  ignorant  of  the  fine  arts. 

When  Grindot  came  in  to  measure  the  bedroom  he 
was  surprised  and  taken  aback  at  the  beauty  of  Cesa- 
rinc.  Just  out  of  her  dressing-room  and  wearing  a 
pretty  morning-gown,  fresh  and  ros}"  as  a  j'oung  girl 
is  fresh  and  rosy  at  eighteen,  blond  and  slender,  with 
blue  eyes,  C^sarine  seemed  to  the  young  artist  a  picture 
of  the  elasticit}-,  so  rare  in  Paris,  that  fills  and  rounds 
the  delicate  cheek,  and  tints  with  the  color  adored  of 
painters,  the  tracery  of  blue  veins  throbbing  beneath 
the  whiteness  of  her  clear  skin.  Though  she  lived 
in  the  lymphatic  atmosphere  of  a  Parisian  shop,  where 
the  air  stagnates  and  the  sun  seldom  shines,  her  habits 
gave  her  the  same  advantages  which  the  open-air  life- 
of  Rome  gives  to  the  Transteverine  peasant-woman. 
Her  hair,  —  which  was  abundant,  and  grew,  like  that 
of  her  father,  in  points  upon  her  forehead,  —  was 
caught  up  in  a  twist  which  showed  the  lines  of  a 
well-set  neck,  and  then  rippled  downward  in  curls 
that  were  scrupulously  cared  for,  after  the  fashion  of 
young  shop-women,  whose  desire  to  attract  attention 
inspires  the  truly  English  minutiae  of  their  toilet.  The 
beauty  of  this  young  girl  was  not  the  beauty  of  an 
English  lady,  nor  of  a  French  duchess,  but  the  round 
and  glowing  beautj^  of  a  Flemish  Rubens.  Cesarine 
had  the  turned-up  nose  of  her  father,  but  it  was 
piquant  through  the  delicacy  of  its  modelling,  —  like 
those  noses,  essentially  French,  which  have  been  so 


C^mr  Birotteau.  97 

well  reproduced  hy  Largilliere.  Her  skin,  of  a  firm 
full  texture,  bespoke  the  vitality  of  a  virgin ;  she  had 
the  fine  brow  of  her  mother,  but  it  was  clear  with 
the  serenity  of  a  j'oung  girl  who  knows  no  care.  Her 
liquid  blue  eyes,  bathed  in  rich  fluid,  expressed  the 
tender  grace  of  a  glowing  happiness.  If  that  happi- 
ness took  from  her  head  the  poetry  which  painters 
insist  on  giving  to  their  pictures  by  making  them  a 
shade  too  pensive,  the  vague  physical  languor  of  a 
young  girl  who  has  never  left  her  mother's  side  made 
up  for  it,  and  gave  her  a  species  of  ideality.  Not- 
withstanding the  graceful  lines  of  her  figure,  she  was 
strongly  built.  Her  feet  betrayed  the  peasant  origin 
of  her  father  and  her  own  defects  of  race,  as  did  the 
redness  of  her  hands,  the  sign  of  a  thoroughly  bourgeois 
life.  Sooner  or  later  she  would  grow  stout.  She  had 
caught  the  sentiment  of  dress  from  the  elegant  young 
women  who  came  to  the  shop,  and  had  learned  from 
them  certain  movements  of  the  head,  certain  ways 
of  speaking  and  of  moving;  and  she  could  play  the 
well-bred  woman  in  a  way  that  turned  the  heads  of  all 
the  young  men,  especially  the  clerks,  in  whose  e^es  she 
appeared  truly  distinguished.  Popinot  swore  that  he 
would  have  no  other  wife  than  C^sarine.  The  liquid 
brightness  of  that  eye,  which  a  look,  or  a  tone  of  re- 
proach, might  cause  to  overflow  in  tears,  was  all  that 
kept  him  to  a  sense  of  masculine  superiority.  The 
charming  girl  inspired  love  without  lea\ang  time  to 
ask  whether  she  had  mind  enough  to  make  it  durable. 
But  of  what  value  is  the  thing  they  call  in  Paris  mind 
to  a  class  whose  principal  element  of  happiness  is  virtue 
and  good  sense  ? 

7 


98  CSsar  BiroUeau. 

In  her  moral  qualities  C^sarine  was  like  her  mother, 
somewhat  bettered  by  the  superfluities  of  education ; 
she  loved  music,  drew  the  Madonna  dclla  Sedia  in  chalk, 
and  read  the  works  of  Mmes.  Cottin  and  Riccoboni, 
of  Bernardin  de  Saint-Pierre,  F^nelon,  and  Racine. 
She  was  never  seen  behind  the  counter  with  her  mother 
except  for  a  few  moments  before  sitting  down  to  dinner, 
or  on  some  special  occasion  when  she  replaced  her.  Her 
father  and  mother,  like  all  persons  who  have  risen  from 
small  beginnings,  and  who  cultivate  the  ingratitude  of 
their  children  by  putting  them  above  themselves,  de- 
lighted in  deifying  Cesarine,  who  happily  had  the  virtues 
of  her  class,  and  took  no  advantage  of  their  weakness. 

Madame  Birotteau  followed  the  architect  with  an 
anxious  and  appealing  ej-e,  watching  with  terror,  and 
pointing  out  to  her  daughter,  the  fantastic  movements 
of  the  four-foot  rule,  that  wand  of  architects  and  build- 
ers, with  which  Grindot  was  measuring.  She  saw  in 
those  mysterious  wavings  a  conjuring  spirit  that  au- 
gured evil ;  she  wished  the  walls  were  less  high,  the 
rooms  less  large,  and  dared  not  question  the  young 
man  on  the  effects  of  his  sorcery. 

"  Do  not  be  afraid,  madame,  I  shall  carry  nothing 
off,"  said  the  artist,  laughing. 

Cesarine  could  not  help  smiling. 

"  Monsieur,"  said  Constance,  in  a  supplicating  voice, 
not  even  noticing  the  tit-for-tat  of  the  young  man, 
"  consider  economy,  and  later  we  may  be  able  to  serve 
you  —  " 

Before  starting  to  see  Monsieur  Molineux,  the  owner 
of  the  adjoining  house,  Cdsar  wished  to  get  from  Roguin 


CSsar  Birotteau.  99 

the  private  deed  about  the  transference  of  the  lease 
which  Alexandre  Crottat  had  been  ordered  to  draw  up. 
As  he  left  the  notary's  house,  he  saw  du  Tillet  at  the 
window  of  Roguin's  study.  Although  the  liaison  of 
his  former  clerk  with  the  lawyer's  wife  made  it  not 
unlikely  that  he  should  see  du  Tillet  there  at  this  hour 
when  the  negotiations  about  the  Madeleine  were  going 
on,  Birotteau,  in  spite  of  his  extreme  confidence,  felt 
uneasy.  The  excited  manner  of  du  Tillet  seemed  the 
sign  of  a  discussion.  "Can  he  be  in  it?"  thought 
Cesar,  with  a  flash  of  commercial  prudence.  The  sus- 
picion passed  like  lightning  through  his  mind.  He 
looked  again  and  saw  Madame  Roguin,  and  the  pres- 
ence of  du  Tillet  was  no  longer  suspicious.  "  Still, 
suppose  Constance  were  right?"  he  said  to  himself. 
"  What  a  fool  I  am  to  listen  to  women's  notions  !  I  '11 
speak  of  it  to  my  uncle  Pillerault  this  morning ;  it  is 
only  a  step  from  the  Cour  Batave,  where  Monsieur 
Molineux  lives,  to  the  Rue  des  Bourdonnais." 

A  cautious  observer,  or  a  merchant  who  had  met 
with  swindlers  in  his  business  career,  would  have  been 
saved  b}'  this  sight ;  but  the  antecedents  of  Birotteau, 
the  incapacity  of  his  mind,  which  had  little  power  to 
follow  up  the  chain  of  inductions  by  which  a  superior 
man  reaches  a  conclusion,  all  conspired  to  blind  him. 
He  found  the  umbrella-man  in  full  dress,  and  they  were 
about  to  start,  when  Virginie,  the  cook,  caught  him  b}' 
the  arm :  — 

"Monsieur,  madame  does  not  wish  you  to  go 
out—" 

"  Pshaw !  "  said  Birotteau,  "  more  women's  notions ! " 

"  —  without  your  coffee,  which  is  ready." 


100  C6i<ir  Birotteau. 

"That's  trae.  My  neighbor,"  he  said  to  Ca3Ton, 
"  I  have  so  many  things  in  my  head  that  I  can't  think 
of  my  stomach.  Do  me  the  kindness  to  go  forward  ;  we 
will  meet  at  Monsieur  Molineux'  door,  unless  j'^ou  are 
willing  to  go  up  and  explain  matters  to  him,  which 
would  save  time." 

Monsieur  Molineux  was  a  grotesque  little  man,  living 
on  his  rents,  —  a  species  of  being  that  exists  nowhere 
but  in  Paris,  like  a  certain  lichen  which  grows  only  in 
Iceland.  This  comparison  is  all  the  more  apt  because 
he  belonged  to  a  mixed  nature,  to  an  animal-vegetable 
kingdom  which  some  modern  Mercier  might  build  up  of 
cryptogams  that  push  up  upon,  and  flower,  and  die  in 
or  under  the  plastered  walls  of  the  strange  unhealthy' 
houses  where  they  prefer  to  cluster.  The  first  aspect 
of  this  human  plant  —  umbelliferous,  judging  b}'  the 
fluted  blue  cap  which  crowned  it,  with  a  stalk  encased 
in  greenish  trousers,  and  bulbous  roots  swathed  in  list 
shoes  —  offered  to  the  eye  a  flat  and  faded  counte- 
nance, which  certainly  betrayed  nothing  poisonous.  In 
this  queer  product  might  be  recognized  the  t^'pical 
stockholder,  who  believes  every  report  which  the  daily 
press  baptizes  with  ink,  and  is  content,  for  all  response, 
to  say,  "  Read  what  the  papers  say,"  —  the  bourgeois, 
essentially  the  friend  of  order,  always  revolting  in  his 
moral  being  against  power,  though  alwa3'S  obeying  it ; 
a  creature  feeble  in  the  mass  but  fierce  in  isolated  cir- 
cumstances, hard  as  a  constable  when  his  own  rights 
are  in  question,  yet  giving  fresh  chickweed  to  his  bird 
and  fish-bones  to  his  cat,  interrupting  the  signing  of 
a  lease  to  whistle  to  a  canary,  suspicious  as  a  jailer, 
but  apt  to  put  his  money  into  a  bad  business  and  then 


CSsar  Birotteau.  101 

endeavor  to  get  it  back  by  niggardly  avarice.  The  evil 
savor  of  this  hybrid  flower  was  only  revealed  by  use ; 
its  nauseous  bitterness  needed  the  stewing  of  some 
business  in  which  his  interests  were  mingled  with  those 
of  other  men,  to  bring  it  fuUj'  out.  Like  all  Parisians, 
Molineux  had  the  lust  of  dominating ;  he  craved  the 
share  of  sovereignty  which  is  exercised  more  or  less  by 
ever}'  one,  even  a  porter,  over  a  greater  or  lesser  number 
of  victims,  —  over  wife,  children,  tenants,  clerks,  horses, 
dogs,  monke3-s,  to  whom  they  send,  on  the  rebound,  the 
mortifications  they  have  endured  in  the  higher  spheres 
to  which  they  aspired. 

This  annoying  old  man  had  neither  wife,  child, 
nephew,  or  niece.  He  bullied  his  servant-of-all-work 
too  much  to  make  her  a  victim ;  for  she  escaped  all 
contact  with  her  master  hy  doing  her  work  and  keep- 
ing out  of  his  way.  His  appetite  for  tyranny  was  thus 
balked ;  and  to  satisfy  it  in  some  way  he  patiently 
studied  the  laws  relating  to  rentals  and  party-walls ; 
he  fathomed  the  jurisprudence  which  regulates  the 
dwellings  of  Paris  in  an  infinite  number  of  pettj^  ques- 
tions as  to  tenants,  abutters,  liabilities,  taxes,  repairs, 
sweepings,  decorations  for  the  Fete-Dieu,  waste-pipes, 
lighting,  projections  over  the  pubUc  wa}',  and  the 
neighborhood  of  unhealthy  buildings.  His  means,  his 
strength,  in  fact  his  whole  mind  was  spent  in  keeping 
his  proprietary  rights  on  a  complete  war-footing.  He 
had  made  it  an  amusement,  and  the  amusement  had  be- 
come a  monomania.  He  was  fond  of  protecting  citizens 
against  the  encroachment  of  illegal  proceedings ;  but 
finding  such  subjects  of  complaint  rare,  he  had  finally 
turned  upon  his  own  tenants.     A  tenant  became  his 


UNIVERSITY  OF  CALIFORNIA 
6ANTA  BARBARA  COLLElOB.  LIBRARY 


102  CSmr  Birotteau. 

enemy,  his  inferior,  his  subject,  liis  vassal ;  he  laid 
claim  to  his  subservience,  and  looked  upon  any  man 
as  a  brute  who  passed  him  on  the  stairway  without 
speaking.  He  wrote  out  his  bills  for  rent  himself,  and 
sent  them  on  the  morning  of  the  day  they  fell  due. 
The  debtor  who  was  behindhand  in  his  payment  received 
a  legal  notice  to  quit  at  an  appointed  time.  Then  fol- 
lowed seizures,  law-suits,  costs,  and  the  whole  judicial 
array  set  in  motion  with  the  rapidity  of  what  the  head's- 
man  calls  the  "  mechanism."  Molineux  granted  neither 
grace  nor  time  ;  his  heart  was  a  callus  in  the  direction 
of  a  lease. 

"  I  will  lend  you  the  money  if  3'ou  want  it,"  he  would 
sa}' to  a  man  he  thought  solvent,  "but  pay  my  rent; 
all  delays  carry  with  them  a  loss  of  interest  for  which 
the  law  does  not  indemnify  us." 

After  long  study  of  the  caprices  and  capers  of  tenants 
who  persisted,  after  the  fashion  of  djnasties,  in  upset- 
ting the  arrangements  of  their  predecessors,  he  had 
drawn  up  a  charter  of  his  own  and  followed  it  religiously. 
In  accordance  therewith,  the  old  fellow  made  no  re- 
pairs :  no  chimney  ever  smoked,  the  stairs  were  clean, 
the  ceilings  white,  the  cornices  irreproachable,  the  floors 
firm  on  their  joists,  the  paint  satisfactory ;  the  locks 
were  never  more  than  three  jeai's  old,  not  a  pane  of 
glass  was  missing,  there  were  no  cracks,  and  he  saw  no 
broken  tiles  until  a  tenant  vacated  the  premises.  When 
he  met  the  tenants  on  their  first  arrival  he  was  accom- 
panied by  a  locksmith  and  a  painter  and  glazier,  — 
very  convenient  folks,  as  he  remarked.  The  lessee  was 
at  liberty  to  make  improvements ;  but  if  the  unhappy 
man  did  so,  little  Molineux  thought  night  and  day  of 


CSsar  Birotteau.  103 

how  he  could  dislodge  him  and  relet  the  improved 
appartement  on  better  terms.  He  watched  and  waited 
and  spun  the  web  of  his  mischievous  legal  proceedings. 
He  knew  all  the  tricks  of  Parisian  legislation  in  the 
matter  of  leases.  Factious  and  fond  of  scribbling,  he 
wrote  polite  and  specious  letters  to  his  tenants ;  but 
at  the  bottom  of  all  his  civil  sentences  might  be  seen, 
as  in  his  faded  and  cozening  face,  the  soul  of  a  Shy  lock. 
He  alwaj's  demanded  six  months'  rent  in  advance,  to 
be  deducted  from  the  last  quartei-  of  the  lease  under  an 
array  of  prickly  conditions  which  he  invented.  If  new 
tenants  offered  themselves,  he  got  information  about 
them  from  the  police  ;  for  he  would  not  have  people  of 
certain  callings,  —  he  was  afraid,  for  instance,  of  ham- 
mers. When  the  lease  was  to  be  signed,  he  kept  the 
deed  and  spelled  it  over  for  a  week,  fearing  what  he 
called  the  et  coetera  of  lawyers. 

Outside  of  his  notions  as  a  proprietor,  Jean-Baptiste 
Molineux  seemed  good  and  obliging.  He  played  at 
boston  without  complaining  of  the  players  ;  he  laughed 
at  the  things  which  make  a  bourgeois  laugh ;  talked  of 
what  others  of  his  kind  talked  about,  —  the  arbitrary 
powers  of  bakers  who  nefariously  sell  false  weights,  of 
the  police,  of  the  heroic  seventeen  deputies  of  the  Left. 
He  read  the  "  Good  Sense"  of  the  Cur^  Meslier,  and 
went  to  Mass ;  not  that  he  had  any  choice  between 
deism  and  Christianity,  but  he  took  the  wafer  when 
offered  to  him,  and  argued  that  he  was  therefore  safe 
from  the  interfering  claims  of  the  clergy.  The  inde- 
fatigable litigant  wrote  letters  on  this  subject  to  the 
newspapers,  which  the  newspapers  did  not  insert  and 
never  answered.    He  was  in  other  respects  one  of  those 


104  Cisar  Birotteau. 

estimable  bourgeois  who  solemnly  put  Christmas  logs 
on  their  fire,  draw  kings  at  play,  invent  April-fools, 
stroll  on  the  boulevards  when  the  weather  is  fine,  go  to 
see  the  skating,  and  are  alwa3-3  to  be  found  on  the 
terrace  of  the  Place  Louis  XV.  at  two  o'clock  on  the 
days  of  the  fireworks,  with  a  roll  in  their  pockets  so 
that  they  ma}'  get  and  keep  a  front  place. 

The  Cour  Batave,  where  the  little  old  man  lived,  is  the 
product  of  one  of  those  fantastic  speculations  of  which 
no  man  can  explain  the  meaning  after  they  are  once 
completed.  This  cloistral  structure,  with  arcades  and 
interior  galleries  built  of  free-stone,  with  a  fountain  at 
one  end, — a  parched  fountain,  which  opens  its  lion's 
mouth  less  to  give  water  than  to  ask  it  from  the  passers- 
by,  —  was  doubtless  invented  to  endow  the  Saint-Denis 
quarter  with  a  species  of  Palais-Royal.  The  place,  un- 
health}'  and  buried  on  all  four  sides  by  the  high  walls 
of  its  houses,  has  no  life  or  movement  except  in  the  day- 
time ;  it  is  a  central  spot  where  dark  passages  meet,  and 
connect  the  quarter  of  the  markets  with  the  Saint-Martin 
quarter  by  means  of  the  famous  Rue  Quincampoix,  — 
damp  wa3's  in  which  hurried  foot-passengers  contract 
rheumatism.  But  at  night  no  spot  in  Paris  is  more  de- 
serted ;  it  might  be  called  the  catacombs  of  commerce. 
In  it  there  are  various  industrial  cloaca.,  very  few  Dutch- 
men, but  a  great  many  grocers.  The  appartements  in 
this  merchant-palace  have,  naturally,  no  other  outlook 
than  that  of  the  common  court  on  which  all  the  windows 
give,  so  that  rents  are  at  a  minimum. 

Monsieur  Molineux  lived  in  one  of  the  angles,  on  the 
sixth  floor  for  sanitary  reasons,  the  air  not  being  pure 
at  a  less  height  than  seventy  feet  above  the  ground. 


CSsar  Birotteau.  105 

At  this  altitude  the  worthy  proprietor  enjoj'ed  an  en- 
chanting view  of  the  windmills  of  Montmartre  as  he 
walked  among  the  gutters  on  the  roof,  where  he  culti- 
vated flowers,  in  spite  of  police  regulations  against  the 
hanging  gardens  of  our  modern  Babylon.  His  apparte- 
ment  was  made  up  of  four  rooms,  without  counting  the 
precious  anglaises  on  the  floor  above  him  of  which  he 
had  the  key ;  they  belonged  to  him,  he  had  made  them, 
and  he  felt  he  was  legally  entitled  to  them.  On  entering 
his  appartement,  a  repulsive  barenness  plainly  showed 
the  avarice  of  the  owner :  in  the  antechamber  were  six 
straw  chairs  and  a  porcelain  stove ;  on  the  walls,  which 
were  covered  with  a  bottle-green  paper,  were  four  en- 
gravings bought  at  auction.  In  the  dining-room  were' 
two  sideboards,  two  cages  full  of  birds,  a  table  cov- 
ered with  oil-cloth,  a  barometer,  a  window-door  which 
opened  on  the  hanging  gardens,  and  chairs  of  dark 
mahogany  covered  with  horse-hair.  The  salon  had 
little  curtains  of  some  old  green-silk  stuff,  and  furni- 
ture of  painted  white-wood  covered  with  green  worsted 
velvet.  As  to  the  chamber  of  the  old  celibate  it  was 
furnished  with  Louis  XV.  articles,  so  dirty  and  dis- 
figured through  long  usage  that  a  woman  dressed  in 
white  would  have  been  afraid  of  soiling  herself  b}-  con- 
tact with  them.  The  chimney-piece  was  adorned  bj-  a 
clock  with  two  columns,  between  which  was  a  dial-case 
that  served  as  a  pedestal  to  Pallas  brandishing  her 
lance  :  a  myth.  The  floor  was  covered  with  plates  full 
of  scraps  intended  for  the  cats,  on  which  there  was  much 
danger  of  stepping.  Above  a  chest  of  drawers  in  rose- 
wood hung  a  portrait  done  in  pastel,  —  Molineux  in 
his  youth.     There  were  also  books,  tables  covered  with 


106  CSsar  Birotteau. 

shabby  green  bandboxes,  on  a  bracket  a  number  of  his 
deceased  canaries  stuffed  ;  and,  finally,  a  chilly  bed  that 
might  formerly  have  belonged  to  a  carmelite. 

C^sar  Birotteau  was  delighted  with  the  extreme 
politeness  of  Molineux,  whom  he  found  wrapped  in 
a  gray  woollen  dressing-gown,  watching  his  milk  in 
a  little  metal  heater  on  the  edge  of  his  fireplace,  while 
his  coffee-grounds  were  boiling  in  a  little  brown  earthen- 
ware jug  from  which,  every  now  and  then,  he  poured 
a  few  drops  into  his  coffee-pot.  The  umbrella-man, 
anxious  not  to  disturb  his  landlord,  had  gone  to  the 
door  to  admit  Birotteau.  Molineux  held  the  mayors 
and  deputies  of  the  city  of  Paris  in  much  esteem :  he 
called  them  "  my  municipal  officers."  At  sight  of  the 
magistrate  he  rose,  and  remained  standing,  cap  in  hand, 
until  the  great  Birotteau  was  seated. 

"No,  monsieur;  yes,  monsieur;  ah,  monsieur,  if  I 
had  known  I  should  have  had  the  honor  of  receiving 
in  the  bosom  of  my  humble  penates  a  member  of  the 
municipality  of  Paris,  believe  me  I  should  have  made 
it  my  duty  to  call  upon  you,  although  I  am  your 
landlord — or,  on  the  point  of  becoming  so." 

Birotteau  made  him  a  sign  to  put  on  his  cap. 

"  No,  I  shall  not ;  not  until  yon  are  seated,  and  have 
replaced  j'ours,  if  you  feel  the  cold.  My  room  is  chilly, 
the  smallness  of  my  means  not  permitting —  God 
grant  your  wishes ! "  he  added,  as  Birotteau  sneezed 
while  he  felt  in  his  pockets  for  the  deeds.  In  present- 
ing them  to  Molineux  C^sar  remarked,  to  avoid  all 
unnecessary  delay,  that  Monsieur  Roguin  the  notary 
had  drawn  them  up. 


Cizar  Birotteau.  Kfl 

"  I  do  not  dispute  the  legal  talents  of  Monsieur  Ro- 
guin,  an  old  name  well-known  in  the  notariat  of  Paris ; 
but  I  have  m}'^  own  little  customs,  I  do  m}'  own  busi- 
ness (an  excusable  hobby),  and  my  notary  is  — " 

"But  this  matter  is  very  simple,"  said  the  per- 
fumer, who  was  used  to  the  quick  business  methods 
of  merchants. 

"  Simple  !"  cried  Molineux.  *'  Nothing  is  simple  in 
such  matters.  Ah  !  you  are  not  a  landlord,  monsieur, 
and  3'ou  ma}'  think  yourself  happy.  If  you  knew  to 
what  lengths  of  ingratitude  tenants  can  go,  and  to  what 
precautions  we  are  driven !  Why,  monsieur,  I  once 
had  a  tenant  —  " 

And  for  a  quarter  of  an  hour  he  recounted  how  a 
Monsieur  Gendrin,  designer,  had  deceived  the  vigilance 
of  his  porter.  Rue  Saint-Honor^.  Monsieur  Gendrin 
had  committed  ipfamies  worthy  of  Marat,  —  obscene 
drawings  at  which  the  police  winked.  This  Gendrin, 
a  profoundly  immoral  artist,  had  brought  in  women 
of  bad  lives,  and  made  the  staircase  intolerable,  — con- 
duct worthy  of  a  man  who  made  caricatures  of  the 
government.  And  why  such  conduct?  Because  his 
rent  had  been  asked  for  on  the  15th!  Gendrin  and 
Molineux  were  about  to  have  a  lawsuit,  for,  though 
he  did  not  pay,  Gendrin  insisted  on  holding  the  empty 
appartement.  Molineux  received  anonymous  letters, 
no  doubt  from  Gendrin,  which  threatened  him  with 
assassination  some  night  in  the  passages  about  the 
Cour  Batave. 

"It  has  got  to  such  a  pass,  monsieur,"  he  said, 
winding  up  the  tale,  "that  monsieur  the  prefect  of 
police,   to  whom  I  confided  my  trouble   (I   profited 


108  CSsar  Birotteau. 

by  the  occasion  to  drop  him  a  few  words  on  the  modi- 
fications which  should  be  introduced  into  the  laws  to 
meet  the  case) ,  has  authorized  me  to  carry  pistols  for 
my  personal  safety." 

The  little  old  man  got  up  and  fetched  the  pistols. 

"  There  they  are  ! "  he  cried. 

"  But,  monsieur,  j'ou  have  nothing  to  fear  from  me," 
said  Birotteau,  looking  at  Cayron,  and  giving  him 
a  glance  and  a  smile  intended  to  express  pity  for 
such  a  man. 

Molineux  detected  it ;  he  was  mortified  at  such  a  look 
from  an  officer  of  the  municipality,  whose  duty  it  was 
to  protect  all  persons  under  his  administration.  In 
anj'  one  else  he  might  have  pardoned  it,  but  in  Birotteau 
the  deputy- mayor,  never ! 

"  Monsieur,"  he  said  in  a  dry  tone,  "an  esteemed 
commercial  judge,  a  deputj^-mayor,  and  an  honorable 
merchant  would  not  descend  to  such  petty  meannesses, 
■ —  for  they  are  meannesses.  But  in  j'our  case  there  is 
an  opening  through  the  wall  which  must  be  agreed  to 
by  jour  landlord.  Monsieur  le  comte  de  Grandville ; 
there  are  stipulations  to  be  made  and  agreed  upon  about 
replacing  the.  wall  at  the  end  of  j-our  lease.  Besides 
which,  rents  have  hitherto  been  low,  but  the}-  are  rising ; 
the  Place  Vendome  is  looking  up,  the  Rue  Castiglione 
is  to  be  built  upon.  I  am  binding  myself — binding 
myself  down !  " 

"  Let  us  come  to  a  settlement,"  said  Birotteau, 
amazed.  "  How  much  do  you  want?  I  know  busi- 
ness well  enough  to  be  certain  that  all  your  reasons 
can  be  silenced  by  the  superior  consideration  of  money. 
Well,  how  much  is  it? " 


CSsar  Birotteau.  109 

*'  That's  only  fair,  monsieur  the  deputy.  How  much 
longer  does  j'our  own  lease  run?" 

"  Seven  years,"  answered  Birotteau. 

"Think  what  my  first  floor  will  be  worth  in  seven 
years  !  "  said  Molineux.  "  Wh}',  what  would  two  fur- 
nished rooms  let  for  in  that  quarter?  —  more  than  two 
hundred  francs  a  month  perhaps !  I  am  binding  mj'- 
self —  binding  myself  by  a  lease.  The  rent  ought  to 
be  fifteen  hundred  francs.  At  that  price  I  will  consent 
to  the  transfer  of  the  two  rooms  by  Monsieur  Cayron, 
here  present,"  he  said,  with  a  sly  wink  at  the  umbrella- 
man  ;  "  and  I  will  give  3'ou  a  lease  of  them  for  seven 
consecutive  years.  The  costs  of  piercing  the  wall  are 
to  belong  to  j'ou  ;  and  j^ou  must  procure  the  consent 
of  Monsieur  le  comte  de  Grandville  and  the  cession 
of  all  his  rights  in  the  matter.  You  are  responsible  for 
all  damage  done  in  making  this  opening.  You  will  not 
be  expected  to  replace  the  wall  yourself,  that  will  be 
my  business ;  but  you  will  at  once  pay  me  five  hun- 
dred francs  as  an  indemnity  towards  it.  "We  never 
know  who  ma}''  live  or  die,  and  I  can't  run  after  any- 
body to  get  the  wall  rebuilt." 

"Those  conditions  seem  to  me  pretty  fair,"  said 
Birotteau. 

"  Next,"  said  Molineux.  "  You  must  paj'  me  seven 
hundred  and  fifty  francs,  hie  et  hunc,  to  be  deducted 
from  the  last  six  months  of  your  lease ;  this  will  be 
acknowledged  in  the  lease  itself.  Oh,  I  will  accept 
small  bills  for  the  value  of  the  rent  at  anj-  date  you 
please !  I  am  prompt  and  square  in  business.  We  will 
agree  that  you  are  to  close  up  the  door  on  my  staircase 
(where  you  are  to  have  no  right  of  entry),  at  your  own 


110  CSnar  Birotteau. 

cost,  in  masonrj'.  Don't  fear,  — I  shall  ask  3'ou  no  in- 
demnity for  that  at  the  end  of  your  lease ;  I  consider 
it  included  in  the  five  hundred  francs.  Monsieur,  you 
will  find  me  just." 

"  We  merchants  are  not  so  sharp,"  said  the  per- 
fumer. "It  would  not  be  possible  to  do  business  if 
we  made  so  many  stipulations." 

"Oh,  in  business,  that  is  very  different,  especially 
in  perfumery,  where  everything  fits  like  a  glove,"  said 
the  old  fellow  with  a  sour  smile;  "but  when  you 
come  to  letting  houses  in  Paris,  nothing  is  unimpor- 
tant. Why,  I  have  a  tenant  in  the  Rue  Montorgueil 
who  —  " 

"  Monsieur,"  said  Birotteau,  "  I  am  sorry  to  detain 
you  from  your  breakfast:  here  are  the  deeds,  correct 
them.  I  agree  to  all  that  you  propose,  we  will  sign 
them  to-morrow ;  but  to-da}'  let  us  come  to  an  agree- 
ment by  word  of  mouth,  for  my  architect  wants  to  take 
possession  of  the  premises  in  the  morning." 

"  Monsieur,"  resumed  Molineux  with  a  glance  at  the 
umbrella-merchant,  "  part  of  a  quarter  has  expired  ; 
Monsieur  Cayron  would  not  wish  to  pay  it ;  we  will  add 
it  to  the  rest,  so  that  jour  lease  may  run  from  January 
to  January.     It  will  be  more  in  order." 

"  Verj'  good,"  said  Birotteau. 

"  And  the  five  per  cent  for  the  porter  —  " 

"But,"  said  Birotteau,  "  if  you  deprive  me  of  the 
right  of  entrance,  that  is  not  fair." 

"Oh,  3'ou  are  a  tenant,"  said  little  Molineux, 
peremptorily,  up  in  arms  for  the  principle.  "  You 
must  pay  the  tax  on  doors  and  windows  and  your 
share  in  all  the  other  charges.    If  everything  is  clearly 


C6%ar  Birotteau.  Ill 

understood  there  will  be  no  difficulty.  You  must  be 
doing  well,  monsieur ;  your  affairs  are  prospering  ?  " 

"  Yes,"  said  Birotteau.  "But  my  motive  is,  I  ma}' 
say,  something  different.  I  assemble  my  friends  as 
much  to  celebrate  the  emancipation  of  our  territory  as 
to  commemorate  my  pi-omotion  to  the  order  of  the 
Legion  of  honor  —  " 

"Ah!  ah!"  said  Molineux,  "a  recompense  well- 
deserved  I " 

"  Yes,"  said  Birotteau,  "  possibly  I  showed  myself 
worthy  of  that  signal  and  royal  favor  by  my  services 
on  the  Bench  of  commerce,  and  b}'  fighting  for  the  Bour- 
bons upon  the  steps  of  Saint-Roch  on  the  13th  Vende- 
miaire.     These  claims  —  " 

"  Are  equal  to  those  of  our  brave  soldiers  of  the  old 
army.    The  ribbon  is  red,  for  it  is  dyed  with  their  blood." 

At  these  words,  taken  from  the  "  Constitutionnel," 
Birotteau  could  not  keep  from  inviting  little  Moli- 
neux to  the  ball,  who  thanked  him  profusely  and 
felt  like  forgiving  the  disdainful  look.  The  old  man 
conducted  his  new  tenant  as  far  as  the  landing,  and 
overwhelmed  him  with  politeness.  When  Birotteau 
reached  the  middle  of  the  Cour  Batave  he  gave  Cayron 
a  merr}'  look. 

"I  did  not  think  there  could  exist  such  —  weak 
beings ! "  he  said,  with  difficulty  keeping  back  the 
word /oofe. 

"Ah,  monsieur!"  said  Cayron,  "it  is  not  everj'body 
that  has  your  talents." 

Birotteau  might  easily  believe  himself  a  superior 
being  in  the  presence  of  Monsieur  Molineux ;  the  an- 
swer of  the  umbrella-man  made  him  smile  agreeably, 


112  CSsar  Birotteau. 

and  he  bowed  to  him  with  a  truly  royal  air  as  they 
parted. 

"  I  am  close  by  the  Markets,"  thought  Cesar ;  "  I  '11 
attend  to  the  matter  of  the  nuts." 

« 

After  an  hour's  search,  Birotteau,  who  was  sent  by 
the  market-women  to  the  Rue  de  Lombards  where  nuts 
for  sugarplums  were  to  be  found,  heard  from  his  friend 
Matifat  that  the  fruit  in  bulk  was  only  to  be  had  of  a 
certain  Madame  Angelique  Madou,  living  in  the  Rue 
Perrin-Gasselin,  the  sole  establishment  which  kept  the 
true  filbert  of  Provence,  and  the  veritable  white  hazel- 
nut of  the  Alps. 

The  Rue  Perrin-Gasselin  is  one  of  the  narrow 
thoroughfares  in  a  square  labyrinth  enclosed  by  the 
quay,  the  Rue  Saint-Denis,  the  Rue  de  la  Ferronnerie, 
and  the  Rue  de  la  Monnaie ;  it  is,  as  it  were,  one  of 
the  entrails  of  the  cit}'.  There  swarm  an  infinite  num- 
ber of  heterogeneous  and  mixed  articles  of  merchan- 
dise, evil-smelling  and  jaunty,  herrings  and  muslin, 
silks  and  honey,  butter  and  gauze,  and  above  all  a 
number  of  petty  trades,  of  which  Paris  knows  as  little 
as  a  man  knows  of  what  is  going  on  in  his  pancreas, 
and  which,  at  the  present  moment,  had  a  blood-sucker 
named  Bidault,  otherwise  called  Gigonnet,  a  mone}'- 
lender,  who  lived  in  the  Rue  Grenetat.  In  this  quarter 
old  stables  were  filled  with  oil-casks,  and  the  caiTiage- 
houses  were  packed  with  bales  of  cotton.  Here  were 
stored  in  bulk  the  articles  that  were  sold  at  retail  in 
the  markets. 

Madame  Madou,  formerly  a  fish-woman,  but  thrown, 
fiome  ten  years  since,  into  the  dried-fruit  trade  by  a 


CSsar  Birotteau.  113 

liaison  with  the  former  proprietor  of  her  present  busi- 
ness (an  affair  which  had  long  fed  the  gossip  of  the 
markets),  had  originallj'^  a  vigorous  and  enticing  beaut}', 
now  lost  however  in  a  vast  embonpoint.  She  lived  on 
the  lower  floor  of  a  yellow  house,  which  was  falling  to 
ruins,  and  was  held  together  at  each  story  by  iron  cross- 
bars. The  deceased  proprietor  had  succeeded  in  get- 
ting rid  of  all  competitors,  and  had  made  his  business 
a  monopoly.  In  spite  of  a  few  slight  defects  of  edu- 
cation, his  heiress  was  able  to  carry  it  along,  and  take 
care  of  her  stores,  which  were  in  coachhouses,  stables, 
and  old  workshops,  where  she  fought  the  vermin  with 
eminent  success.  Not  troubled  with  desk  or  ledgers, 
for  she  could  neither  read  nor  write,  she  answered  a 
letter  with  a  blow  of  her  fist,  considering  it  an  insult. 
In  the  main  she  was  a  good  woman,  with  a  high- 
colored  face,  and  a  foulard  tied  over  her  cap,  who 
mastered  with  bugle  voice  the  wagoners  when  they 
brought  the  merchandise  ;  such  squabbles  usually  end- 
ing in  a  bottle  of  the  "  right  sort."  She  had  no  dis- 
putes with  the  agriculturists  who  consigned  her  the 
fruit,  for  they  corresponded  in  ready  mone^',  —  the  only 
possible  method  of  communication,  to  receive  which 
Mere  Madou  paid  them  a  visit  in  the  fine  season  of 
the  year. 

Birotteau  found  this  shrewish  trader  among  sacks 
of  filberts,  nuts,  and  chestnuts. 

"  Good-morning,  my  dear  lady,"  said  Birotteau  with 
a  jaunty  air. 

"  ybwy  dear!"  she  said.  "Hey!  my  son,  what's 
there  agreeable  between  us  ?  Did  we  ever  mount  guard 
over  kings  and  queens  together?" 

8 


114  CSsar  Birotteau. 

"  I  am  a  perfumer,  and  what  is  more  I  am  deputy- 
mayor  of  the  second  arrondissement ;  thus,  as  magis- 
trate and  as  customer,  I  request  you  to  take  another 
tone  with  me." 

"  I  marry  when  I  please,"  said  the  virago.  "  I  don't 
trouble  the  mayor,  or  bother  his  deputies.  As  for  my 
customers,  they  adore  me,  and  I  talk  to  'em  as  I  choose. 
If  they  don't  like  it,  thej'  can  snake  off  elsewhere." 

"  This  is  the  result  of  monopoly,"  thought  Birotteau. 

"  Popole  !  —  that 's  my  godson,  —  he  must  have  got 
into  mischief.  Have  you  come  about  him,  my  worthy 
magistrate?"  she  said,  softening  her  voice. 

"  No ;  I  had  the  honor  to  tell  you  that  I  came  as  a 
customer." 

"Well,  well!  and  what's  j'our  name,  my  lad? 
Haven't  seen  you  about  before,  have  I?" 

"  If  you  take  that  tone,  you  ought  to  sell  your  nuts 
cheap,"  said  Birotteau,  who  proceeded  to  give  his  name 
and  all  his  distinctions. 

"  Ha !  you're  the  Birotteau  that 's  got  the  handsome 
wife.  And  how  many  of  the  sweet  little  nuts  may  you 
want,  my  love  ?  " 

"  Six  thousand  weight." 

"That's  all  I  have,"  said  the  seller,  in  a  voice  like 
a  hoarse  flute.  "  My  dear  monsieur,  you  are  not  one 
of  the  sluggards  who  waste  their  time  on  girls  and  per- 
fumes. God  bless  j'ou,  you  've  got  something  to  do ! 
Excuse  me  a  bit.  You  '11  be  a  jolly  customer,  dear  to 
the  heart  of  the  woman  I  love  best  in  the  world." 

"Who  is  that?" 

"  He}- !  the  dear  Madame  Madou.'* 

"  What 's  the  price  of  your  nuts  ?  " 


CSisar  Birotteau.  116 

"  For  you,  old  fellow,  twentj'-five  francs  a  hundred, 
if  you  take  them  all." 

"  Twenty -five  francs!"  cried  Birotteau.  "Fifteen 
hundred  francs  !  I  shall  want  perhaps  a  hundred  thou- 
sand a  year." 

"  But  just  look  how  fine  they  are  ;  fresh  as  a  daisy," 
she  said,  plunging  her  red  arm  into  a  sack  of  filberts. 
"  Plump,  no  empty  ones,  my  dear  man.  Just  think! 
grocers  sell  their  beggarly  trash  at  twentj'-four  sous  a 
pound,  and  in  every  four  pounds  they  put  a  pound  of 
hollows.  Must  I  lose  my  profits  to  oblige  you  ?  You  're 
nice  enough,  but  you  don't  please  me  all  that !  If  you 
want  so  many,  we  might  make  a  bargain  at  twenty 
francs.  I  don't  want  to  send  away  a  deputj'-mayor,  — 
bad  luck  to  the  brides,  you  know !  Now,  just  handle 
those  nut*;  heavy,  are  n't  they?  Less  than  fifty  to  the 
pound  ;  no  worms  there,  I  can  tell  you." 

"  Well,  then,  send  six  thousand  weight,  for  two 
thousand  francs  at  ninety  daj^s'  sight,  to  my  manufac- 
tory, Rue  du  Faubourg-du-Temple,  to-morrow  morning 
early." 

"  You  're  in  as  great  a  hurry  as  a  bride !  "Well, 
adieu,  monsieur  the  mayor;  don't  bear  me  a  grudge. 
But  if  it  is  all  the  same  to  j'ou,"  she  added,  following 
Birotteau  through  the  j'ard,  "  I  would  like  your  note  at 
forty  days,  because  I  have  let  you  have  them  too  cheap, 
and  I  don't  want  to  lose  the  discount.  Pere  Gigonnet 
may  have  a  tender  heart,  but  he  sucks  the  soul  out  of 
us  as  a  spider  sucks  a  fly." 

"  Well,  then,  fifty  days.  But  they  are  to  be  weighed 
by  the  hundred  pounds,  so  that  there  may  be  no  hollow 
ones.     Without  that,  no  bargain." 


116  CSsar  Birotteau. 

"Ah,  the  dog!  he  knows  what  he's  about,"  said 
Madame  Madou;  "can't  make  a  fool  of  him!  It  is 
those  rascals  in  the  Rue  des  Lombards  who  have  put 
him  up  to  that !  Those  big  wolves  are  all  in  a  pack  to 
eat  up  the  innocent  lambs." 

This  lamb  was  five  feet  high  and  three  feet  round, 
and  she  looked  like  a  mile-post,  dressed  in  striped 
calico,  without  a  belt. 

The  perfumer,  lost  in  thought,  was  ruminating  as  he 
went  along  the  Rue  Saint-Honore  about  his  duel  with 
Macassar  Oil.  He  was  meditating  on  the  labels  and 
the  shape  of  the  bottles,  discussing  the  quality  of  the 
corks,  the  color  of  the  placards.  And  j-et  people  say 
there  is  no  poetry  in  commerce  !  Newton  did  not  make 
more  calculations  for  his  famous  binomial  than  Birot- 
teau made  for  his  Comagene  Essence,  —  for  b}"  this 
time  the  Oil  had  subsided  into  an  Essence,  and  he  went 
from  one  description  to  the  other  without  observing 
any  difference.  His  head  spun  with  his  computations, 
and  he  took  the  lively  activity  of  its  emptiness  for 
the  substantial  work  of  real  talent.  He  was  so  pre- 
occupied that  he  passed  the  turn  leading  to  his  uncle's 
house  in  the  Rue  des  Bourdonnais,  and  had  to  return 
upon  his  steps. 


CSsar  Birotteau.  117 


V. 


Claude- Joseph  Pillerault,  formerly  an  iron- 
monger at  the  sign  of  the  Cloche  d'Or,  had  one  of 
those  faces  whose  beauty  shines  from  the  inner  to  the 
outer;  about  him  all  things  harmonized, — dress  and 
manners,  mind  and  heart,  thought  and  speech,  words 
and  acts.  He  was  the  sole  relation  of  Madame  Birot- 
teau, and  had  centred  all  his  affections  upon  her  and 
upon  Cesarine,  having  lost,  in  the  course  of  his  com- 
mercial career,  his  wife  and  son,  and  also  an  adopted 
child,  the  son  of  his  house-keeper.  These  heavy  losses 
had  driven  the  good  man  into  a  kind  of  Christian  stoi- 
cism, —  a  noble  doctrine,  which  gave  life  to  his  exist- 
ence, and  colored  his  latter  daj's  with  the  warm,  and  at 
the  same  time  chilling,  tones  which  gild  the  sunsets 
of  winter.  His  head,  thin  and  hollowed  and  swarthy, 
with  ochre  and  bistre  tints  harmoniously  blended, 
offered  a  striking  likeness  to  that  which  artists  be- 
stow on  Time,  though  it  vulgarized  it ;  for  the  habits 
of  commercial  life  lowered  the  stern  and  monumental 
character  which  painters,  sculptors,  and  clock-makers 
exaggerate.  Of  medium  height,  Pillerault  was  more 
thick-set  than  stout ;  Nature  had  built  him  for  hard 
work  and  long  life ;  his  broad  shoulders  showed  a 
strong  frame ;  he  was  dry  by  temperament,  and  his 
skin  had,  as  it  were,  no  emotions,  though  it  was  not 
insensible.    Little  demonstrative,  as  was  shown  by  his 


118  CSiar  Birotteau. 

composed  face  and  quiet  attitude,  the  old  man  had  an 
inward  calm  not  expressed  in  phrases  nor  by  emphasis. 
His  eye,  the  pupil  of  which  was  green,  mingled  with 
black  lines,  was  remarkable  for  its  unalterable  clear- 
ness. His  forehead,  wrinkled  in  straight  lines  and 
3'ellowed  by  time,  was  small  and  narrow,  hard,  and 
crowned  with  silver-graj'  hair  cut  so  short  that  it  looked 
like  felt.  His  delicate  mouth  showed  prudence,  but  not 
avarice.  The  vivacity  of  his  eye  showed  the  purity  of 
his  life.  Integrity,  a  sense  of  duty,  and  true  modesty 
made,  as  it  were,  a  halo  round  his  head,  bringing  his 
face  into  the  relief  of  a  sound  and  healthful  existence. 

For  sixty  j-ears  he  had  led  the  hard  and  sober  lif6 
of  a  determined  worker.  His  history  was  like  Cesar's, 
except  in  happiness.  A  clerk  till  thirt}'  years  of  age, 
his  property  was  all  in  his  business  at  the  time  when 
Cesar  put  his  savings  into  the  Funds  ;  he  had  suffered, 
like  others,  under  the  Maximum,  and  the  pickaxes  and 
other  implements  of  his  trade  had  been  requisitioned. 
His  reserved  and  judicious  nature,  his  forethought  and 
mathematical  reflection,  were  seen  in  his  methods  of 
work.  The  greater  part  of  his  business  was  conducted 
by  word  of  mouth,  and  he  seldom  encountered  diflflcul- 
ties.  Like  all  thoughtful  people  he  was  a  great  ob- 
server ;  he  let  people  talk,  and  then  studied  them.  He 
often  refused  advantageous  bargains  on  which  his 
neighbors  pounced  ;  later,  when  thej'  regretted  them, 
they  declared  that  Pillerault  had  "  a  nose  for  swindlers." 
He  preferred  small  and  certain  gains  to  bold  strokes 
which  put  large  sums  of  money  in  jeopardy.  He  dealt 
in  cast-iron  chimney  backs,  gridirons,  coarse  fire-dogs, 
kettles  and  boilers  in  cast  or  wrought  iron,  hoes,  and 


CSsar  Birotteau.  119 

all  the  agricultural  implements  of  the  peasantry.  This 
line,  which  was  sufficiently  unremunerative,  required  an 
immense  mechanical  toil.  The  gains  were  not  in  pro- 
portion to  the  labor ;  the  profits  on  such  heavy  articles, 
difficult  to  move  and  expensive  to  store,  were  small. 
He  himself  had  nailed  up  many  a  case,  packed  and 
unpacked  many  a  bale,  unloaded  man}'  a  wagon.  No 
fortune  was  ever  more  nobl}'  won,  more  legitimate  or 
more  honorable,  than  his.  He  had  never  overcharged 
or  sought  to  force  a  bargain.  In  his  latter  business 
daj's  he  might  be  seen  smoking  his  pipe  before  the 
door  of  his  shop  looking  at  the  passers-by,  and  watch- 
ing his  clerks  as  they  worked.  In  1814,  the  period  at 
which  he  retired  from  business,  his  fortune  consisted, 
in  the  first  place,  of  seventy  thousand  francs,  which  he 
placed  in  the  public  Funds,  and  from  which  he  derived 
an  income  of  five  thousand  and  some  odd  hundred 
francs  a  year ;  next  of  fort}'  thousand  francs,  the  value 
of  his  business,  which  he  had  sold  to  one  of  his  clerks ; 
this  sum  was  to  be  paid  in  full  at  the  end  of  five  years, 
without  interest.  Engaged  for  thirty  years  in  a  business 
which  amounted  to  a  hundred  thousand  francs  a  year, 
he  had  made  about  seven  per  cent  profit  on  the  amount, 
and  his  living  had  absorbed  one  half  of  that  profit. 
Such  was  his  record.  His  neighbors,  little  envious  of 
such  mediocrity,  praised  his  excellence  without  under- 
standing it. 

At  the  corner  of  the  Rue  de  la  Monnaie  and  the  Rue 
Saint-Honord  is  the  caf4  David,  where  a  few  old  mer- 
chants, like  Pillerault,  take  their  coffee  in  the  evenings. 
There,  the  adoption  of  the  son  of  his  cook  had  been  the 
subject  of  a  few  jests,  such  as  might  be  addressed  to  a 


120  CSsar  Birotteau. 

man  much  respected,  for  the  iron-monger  inspired  re- 
spectful esteem,  though  he  never  sought  it ;  his  inward 
self-respect  sufficed  him.  So  when  he  lost  the  young 
man,  two  hundred  friends  followed  the  body  to  the 
cemetery.  In  those  days  he  was  heroic.  His  sorrow, 
restrained  like  that  of  all  men  who  are  strong  without 
assumption,  increased  the  sympathy  felt  in  his  neighbor- 
hood for  the  "  worthy  man,"  —  a  term  applied  to  Filler- 
ault  in  a  tone  which  broadened  its  meaning  and  enno- 
bled it.  The  sobriety  of  Claude  Pillerault,  long  become 
a  habit,  did  not  yield  before  the  pleasures  of  an  idle  Ufe 
when,  on  quitting  his  business,  he  sought  the  rest  which 
drags  down  so  many  of  the  Parisian  bourgeoisie.  He 
kept  up  his  former  waj's  of  life,  and  enlivened  his  old 
age  by  convictions  and  interests,  which  belonged,  we 
must  admit,  to  the  extreme  Left.  Pillerault  belonged 
to  that  working-men's  party  which  the  Revolution  had 
fused  with  the  bourgeoisie.  The  onl}^  blot  upon  his 
character  was  the  importance  he  attached  to  the  triumph 
of  that  part}' ;  he  held  to  all  the  rights,  to  the  liberty, 
and  to  the  fruits  of  the  Revolution  ;  he  believed  that 
his  peace  of  mind  and  his  political  stability  were  endan- 
gered by  the  Jesuits,  whose  secret  power  was  proclaimed 
aloud  b}'  the  Liberals,  and  menaced  by  the  principles 
with  which  the  "  Constitutionnel "  endowed  Monsieur. 
He  was  quite  consistent  in  his  life  and  ideas  ;  there  was 
nothing  narrow  about  his  politics  ;  he  never  insulted  his 
adversaries,  he  dreaded  courtiers  and  believed  in  repub- 
lican virtues  ;  he  thought  Manuel  a  pure  man.  General 
Foy  a  gi'eat  one,  Casimir  Perier  without  ambition, 
Lafa3'ette  a  political  prophet,  and  Courier  a  worthy 
fellow.    He  had  indeed  some   noble   chimeras.     The 


CSsar  Birotteau.  121 

fine  old  man  lived  a  familj-  life  ;  he  went  about  among 
the  Ragons,  his  niece  Birotteau,  the  judge  Popinot, 
Joseph  Lebas,  and  his  friend  Matifat.  Fifteen  hun- 
dred francs  a  year  sufficed  for  all  his  personal  wants. 
As  to  the  rest  of  his  income  he  spent  it  on  good  deeds, 
and  in  presents  to  his  great-niece ;  he  gave  a  dinner 
four  times  a  jear  to  his  friends,  at  Roland's,  Rue  du 
Hasard,  and  took  them  afterwards  to  the  theatre.  He 
plajed  the  part  of  those  old  bachelors  on  whom  married 
women  draw  at  sight  for  their  amusements,  —  a  coun- 
try jaunt,  the  opera,  the  Montagnes-Beaujon,  et  coetera. 
Pillerault  was  made  happy  by  the  pleasure  he  gave ; 
his  joj-s  were  in  the  hearts  of  others.  Though  he  had 
sold  his  business,  he  did  not  wish  to  leave  the  neighbor- 
hood to  which  all  his  habits  tied  him ;  and  he  took  a 
small  appartement  of  three  rooms  in  the  Rue  des 
Bourdonnais  on  the  fourth  floor  of  an  old  house. 

Just  as  the  moral  nature  of  Molineux  could  be  seen 
in  his  strange  interior,  the  pure  and  simple  life  of  Pille- 
rault was  revealed  by  the  arrangements  of  his  modest 
home,  consisting  of  an  antechamber,  a  sitting-room, 
and  bed-room.  Judged  by  dimensions,  it  was  the  cell 
of  a  Trappist.  The  antechamber,  with  a  red-tiled 
floor,  had  only  one  window,  screened  b}-  a  cambric 
curtain  with  a  red  border ;  mahogany  chairs,  covered 
with  reddish  sheep's  leather  put  on  with  gilt  nails,  walls 
hung  with  an  olive-green  paper,  and  otherwise  deco- 
rated with  the  American  Declaration  of  Independence, 
a  portrait  of  Bonaparte  as  First  Consul,  and  a  represen- 
tation of  the  battle  of  Austerlitz.  The  salon,  decorated 
undoubtedly  by  an  upholsterer,  had  a  set  of  furniture 
with  arched  tops  covered  in  yellow,  a  carpet,  chimney 


122  CSsar  Birotteau. 

ornaments  of  bronze  without  gilding,  a  painted  chimney- 
board,  a  console  bearing  a  vase  of  flowers  under  a  glass 
case,  a  round  table  covered  with  a  cloth,  on  which  stood 
a  liqueur-stand.  The  newness  of  this  room  proclaimed 
a  sacriflce  made  by  the  old  man  to  the  conventions  of 
the  world ;  for  he  seldom  received  any  one  at  home. 
In  his  bedroom,  as  plain  as  that  of  a  monk  or  an  old 
soldier  (the  two  men  best  able  to  estimate  life),  a 
crucifix  with  a  basin  of  holy-water  first  caught  the  eye. 
This  profession  of  faith  in  a  stoical  old  republican  was 
strangely  moving  to  the  heart  of  a  spectator. 

An  old  woman  came  to  do  his  household  work ;  but 
his  respect  for  women  was  so  great  that  he  would  not 
let  her  black  his  boots,  and  he  subscribed  to  a  boot- 
black for  that  service.  His  dress  was  simple,  and  in- 
variably the  same.  He  wore  a  coat  and  trousers  of 
dark-blue  cloth,  a  waistcoat  of  some  printed  cotton 
fabric,  a  white  cravat,  high  shoes,  and  on  gala  dajs  he 
put  on  a  coat  with  brass  buttons.  His  habits  of  rising, 
breakfasting,  going  out,  dining,  his  evening  resorts,  and 
his  returning  hours  were  all  stamped  with  the  strictest 
punctuality ;  for  regular  habits  are  the  secret  of  long 
life  and  sound  health.  Politics  never  came  to  the 
surface  in  his  intercourse  with  Cesar,  the  Ragons,  or 
the  Abbe  Loraux ;  for  the  good  people  of  that  circle 
knew  each  other  too  well  to  care  to  enter  the  region  of 
proselytism.  Like  his  nephew  and  like  the  Ragons, 
he  put  implicit  confidence  in  Roguin.  To  his  mind 
the  notary  was  a  being  worthy  of  veneration,  —  the 
living  image  of  probit}'.  In  the  affair  of  the  lands 
about  the  Madeleine,  Pillerault  had  undertaken  a  pri- 
vate examination,   which  was  the  real  cause  of  the 


C^%ar  Birotteau.  123 

boldness  with  which  C^sar  had  combated  his  wife's 
presentiments. 

The  perfumer  went  up  the  seventy-eight  stairs  which 
led  to  the  little  brown  door  of  his  uncle's  apartment, 
thinking  as  he  went  that  the  old  man  must  be  very  hale 
to  mount  them  daily  without  complaining.  He  found 
a  frock-coat  and  pair  of  trousers  hanging  on  the  hat- 
stand  outside  the  door.  Madame  Vaillant  brushed  and 
cleaned  them  while  this  genuine  philosopher,  wrapped 
in  a  gray  woollen  garment,  breakfasted  in  his  chimney- 
corner  and  read  the  parliamentary  debates  in  the 
"  Constitutionnel "  or  the  "Journal  du  Commerce." 

"Uncle,"  said  Cdsar,  "the  matter  is  settled;  they 
are  drawing  up  the  deeds  ;  but  if  you  have  any  fears  or 
regrets,  there  is  still  time  to  give  it  up." 

"Why  should  I  give  it  up?  The  thing  is  good; 
though  it  may  be  long  before  we  realize  anything,  like 
all  safe  investments.  My  fifty  thousand  francs  are  in 
the  bank.  I  received  yesterda}'  the  last  instalment,  five 
thousand  francs,  from  my  business.  As  for  the  Ragons, 
they  have  put  their  whole  fortune  into  the  afilair." 

"  How  do  the}^  contrive  to  live? " 

"  Never  mind  how  ;  they  do  live." 

"Uncle,  I  understand!"  said  Birotteau,  deeply 
moved,  pressing  the  hand  of  the  austere  old  man. 

"How  is  the  afiair  arranged?"  asked  Pillerault, 
brusquely. 

"  I  am  in  for  three  eighths,  you  and  the  Ragons  for 
one  eighth.  I  shall  credit  you  for  that  on  my  books 
until  the  question  of  registration  is  decided." 

"Good!  My  boy,  you  must  be  getting  rich  to  put 
three  hundred  thousand  francs  into  it.     It  seems  to  me 


124  CSsar  Birotteau. 

you  are  risking  a  good  deal  outside  of  your  business. 
Won't  the  business  suffer?  However,  that  is  your 
affair.  If  you  get  a  set-back,  why  the  Funds  are  at 
eighty,  and  I  could  sell  two  thousand  francs  worth  of 
my  consolidated  stock.  But  take  care,  my  lad ;  for  if 
you  have  to  come  upon  me,  it  will  be  your  daughter's 
fortune  that  3'ou  will  take." 

"Ah!  my  uncle,  how  simply  you  say  things  !  You 
touch  my  heart." 

"General  Foy  was  touching  mine  in  quite  another 
fashion  just  now.  Well,  go  on ;  settle  the  business ; 
lands  can't  fly  away.  We  are  getting  them  at  half 
price.  Suppose  we  do  have  to  wait  six  years,  there 
will  alwa3s  be  some  returns ;  there  are  wood-^'ards 
which  will  bring  in  a  rent.  We  can't  reall}''  lose  any- 
thing. There  is  but  one  chance  against  us.  Roguin 
might  run  off  with  the  money." 

"  My  wife  told  me  so  this  very  night.     She  fears  —  " 

"That  Roguin  will  carry  off  our  funds?"  said  Pille- 
rault,  laughing.     "Pray,  why?" 

"  She  says  there  is  too  much  in  his  nose  ;  and  like  all 
men  who  can't  have  women,  he  is  furious  to  —  " 

With  a  smile  of  incredulity,  Pillerault  tore  a  strip 
from  a  little  book,  wrote  down  an  amount,  and  signed 
the  paper. 

"  There,"  said  he,  "  there's  a  cheque  on  the  Bank  of 
France  for  a  hundred  thousand  francs  for  the  Ragons 
and  for  me.  Those  poor  folks  have  just  sold  to  your 
scoundrel  of  a  du  Tillet  their  fifteen  shares  in  the  mines 
at  Wortschin  to  make  up  the  amount.  Worthy  people 
in  trouble,  — it  wrings  my  heart ;  and  such  good,'  noble 
souls,  the  very  flower  of  the  old  bourgeoisie !     Their 


CSsar  Birotteau.  125 

brother,  Popinot  the  judge,  knows  nothing  about  it; 
they  hide  it  from  him  so  that  he  may  not  feel  obliged 
to  give  up  his  other  works  of  charity.  People  who  have 
worked,  like  me,  for  forty  years  !  " 

"  God  grant  that  the  Oil  of  Comagene  maj-  triumph  ! " 
cried  Birotteau.  "I  shall  be  doubly  happy.  Adieu; 
come  and  dine  on  Sunday  with  the  Ragons,  Roguin,  and 
Monsieur  Claparon.  We  shall  sign  the  papers  day  after 
to-morrow,  for  to-morrow  is  Friday',  you  know,  and  I 
shouldn't  like  —  " 

"  You  don't  surely  give  in  to  such  superstitions?" 

"  Uncle,  I  shall  never  believe  that  the  day  on  which 
the  Son  of  God  was  put  to  death  by  man  can  be  a 
fortunate  day.  Why,  we  ourselves  stop  all  business  on 
the  twenty-first  of  Januarj'. 

"  On  Sunday,  then,"  said  Pillerault  brusquely. 

"If  it  were  not  for  his  political  opinions,"  thought 
Birotteau  as  he  went  down  stairs,  "  I  don't  believe  he 
would  have  his  equal  here  below.  What  are  politics  to 
him  ?  He  would  be  just  as  well  off  if  he  never  thought 
of  them.  His  obstinacy  in  that  direction  only  shows 
that  there  can't  be  a  perfect  man." 

"  Tliree  o'clock  already !  "  cried  C^sar,  as  he  got 
back  to  "The  Queen  of  Roses." 

"Monsieur,  do  j'ou  mean  to  take  these  securities?" 
asked  Ceiestin,  showing  him  the  notes  of  the  umbrella- 
maker. 

"  Yes  ;  at  six  per  cent,  without  commission.  Wife, 
get  my  dressing  things  all  ready ;  I  am  going  to  see 
Monsieur  Vauquelin,  —  you  know  why.  A  white  cravat, 
of  course." 

Bu-otteau  gave  a  few  orders  to  the  clerks.    Not  seeing 


126  CHar  Birotteau. 

Popinot,  he  concluded  that  his  future  partner  had  gone 
to  dress ;  and  he  went  gaj'lj  up  to  his  room,  where  the 
Dresden  Madonna,  magnificently  framed  according  to 
his  orders,  awaited  him. 

"  Hey !  that 's  pretty,"  he  said  to  his  daughter. 

"Papa,  you  must  say  beautiful,  or  people  will  laugh 
at  3'ou." 

' '  Upon  my  word  !  a  daughter  who  scolds  her  father ! 
Well,  well !  To  my  taste  I  like  Hero  and  Leander 
quite  as  much.  The  Vii^n  is  a  religious  subject, 
suitable  for  a  chapel ;  but  Hero  and  Leander,  ah ! 
I  shall  buy  it,  for  that  flask  of  oil  gave  me  an  idea — " 

"  Papa,  I  don't  know  what  jou  are  talking  about." 

"  Virginie!  a  hacknej'-coach  ! "  cried  Cesar,  in  sten- 
torian tones,  as  soon  as  he  had  trimmed  his  beard  and 
seen  little  Popinot  appear,  who  was  dragging  his  foot 
timidly  because  Cesarine  was  there. 

The  lover  had  never  yet  perceived  that  his  infirmity 
no  longer  existed  in  the  eyes  of  his  mistress.  Deli- 
cious sign  of  love  !  —  which  they  on  whom  chance  has 
inflicted  a  bodil3\ imperfection  can  alone  obtain. 

"Monsieur,"  he  said,  "the  press  will  be  ready  to 
work  to-morrow." 

"  Wh}',  what's  the  matter,  Popinot?"  asked  C^ar, 
as  he  saw  Anselme  blush. 

"  Monsieur,  it  is  the  joy  of  having  found  a  shop,  a 
back-shop,  kitchen,  chambers  above  them,  and  store- 
rooms, —  all  for  twelve  hundred  francs  a  year,  in  the 
Rue  des  Cinq-Diamants." 

"  We  must  take  a  lease  of  eighteen  j-ears,"  said 
Birotteau.  "  But  let  us  start  for  Monsieur  Vauquelin's. 
We  can  talk  as  we  go." 


CiBar  Birotteau.  127 

C^sar  and  Popinot  got  into  the  hackney-coach  before 
tlie  ej-es  of  the  astonished  clerks,  who  did  not  know 
what  to  make  of  these  gorgeous  toilets  and  the  ab- 
normal coach,  ignorant  as  they  were  of  the  great 
projects  revolving  in  the  mind  of  the  master  of  "The 
Queen  of  Roses." 

"  We  are  going  to  hear  the  truth  about  nuts,"  said 
Cesar,  half  to  himself. 

"  Nuts?  "  said  Popinot. 

"There  you  have  my  secret,"  said  the  perfumer. 
"  I  've  let  loose  the  word  nuts,  —  all  is  there.  The  oil 
of  nuts  is  the  only  oil  that  has  any  real  effect  upon  hair. 
No  perfumer  has  ever  di*eamed  of  it.  I  saw  an  en- 
graving of  Hero  and  Leander,  and  I  said  to  m3-8elf, 
If  the  ancients  used  all  that  oil  on  their  heads  thej'  had 
some  reason  for  it ;  for  the  ancients  are  the  ancients, 
in  spite  of  all  the  moderns  may  say  ;  I  stand  by  Boileau 
about  the  ancients.  I  took  my  departure  from  that 
point  and  got  to  the  oil  of  nuts,  thanks  to  your  relation, 
little  Bianchon  the  medical  student :  he  told  me  that 
at  school  his  comrades  used  nut  oil  to  promote  the 
growth  of  their  whiskers  and  mustachios.  All  we  need 
is  the  approval  of  Monsieur  Vauquelin  ;  enlightened  by 
his  science,  we  shall  mislead  the  public.  I  was  in 
the  markets  just  now,  talking  to  a  seller  of  nuts,  so 
as  to  get  hold  of  the  raw  material,  and  now  I  am 
about  to  meet  one  of  the  greatest  scientific  men  in 
France,  to  get  at  the  quintessence  of  that  commodity. 
Proverbs  are  no  fools ;  extremes  meet.  Now  see,  my 
bo3%  commerce  is  the  intermediary  between  the  produc- 
tions of  the  vegetable  kingdom  and  science.  Angelique 
Madou  gathers,  Monsieur  Vauquelin  extracts,  we  sell 


128  C6Bar  Birotteau. 

an  essence.  Nuts  are  worth  five  sous  a  pound,  Mon- 
sieur Vauquelin  will  increase  their  value  one  hundred- 
fold,  and  we  shall,  perhaps,  do  a  sersdce  to  humanity ; 
for  if  vanity  is  the  cause  of  the  greatest  torments  of 
mankind,  a  good  cosmetic  becomes  a  benefaction." 

The  religious  admiration  with  which  Popinot  listened 
to  the  father  of  Cesarine  stimulated  Birotteau's  elo- 
quence, who  allowed  himself  to  expatiate  in  phrases 
which  certainl3'  were  extremely  wild  for  a  bourgeois. 

"Be  respectful,  Anselme,"  he  said,  as  they  reached 
the  street  where  Monsieur  Vauquelin  lived,  "  we  are 
about  to  enter  the  sanctuary  of  science.  Put  the 
Virgin  in  full  sight,  but  not  ostentatiously,  in  the 
dining-room,  on  a  chair.  Pra^*  heaven,  I  may  not 
get  mixed  up  in  what  I  have  to  say !  "  cried  Cesar, 
naively.  "  Popinot,  this  man  has  a  chemical  effect  upon 
me ;  his  voice  heats  my  stomach,  and  even  gives  me 
a  slight  colic.  He  is  my  benefactor,  and  in  a  few 
moments  he  will  be  yours." 

These  words  struck  Popinot  with  a  cold  chill,  and  he 
began  to  step  as  if  he  were  walking  on  eggs,  looking 
nervously  at  the  wall.  Monsieur  Vauquelin  was  in  his 
study  when  Birotteau  was  announced.  The  academi- 
cian knew  that  the  perfumer  and  deput^'-major  was 
high  in  favor,  and  he  admitted  him. 

' '  You  do  not  forget  me  in  the  midst  of  your  dis- 
tinctions," he  said,  "  there  is  only  a  hand's-breadth, 
however,  between  a  chemist  and  a  perfumer." 

"  Ah,  monsieur !  between  your  genius  and  the  plain- 
ness of  a  man  like  me  there  is  infinity.  I  owe  to  5'ou 
what  you  call  my  distinctions  :  I  shall  never  forget  it  in 
this  world,  nor  in  the  next." 


C6%ar  Birotteau.  129 

*'01i!  in  the  next  they  say  we  shall  be  all  alike, 
kings  and  cobblers." 

"  Provided  kings  and  cobblers  lead  a  holy  life  here 
below,"  said  Birotteau. 

"Is  that  3'our  son?"  asked  Vauquelin,  looking  at 
little  Popinot,  who  was  amazed  at  not  seeing  anything 
extraordinary'  in  the  sanctum,  where  he  expected  to 
find  monstrosities,  gigantic  engines,  flying- machines, 
and  material  substances  all  alive. 

"  No,  monsieur,  but  a  young  man  whom  I  love,  and 
who  comes  to  ask  a  kindness  equal  to  your  genius,  — 
and  that  is  infinite,"  said  C^sar  with  shrewd  courtesy. 
"  We  have  come  to  consult  you,  a  second  time,  on  an 
important  matter,  about  which  I  am  as  ignorant  as  a 
perfumer  can  be." 

"  Let  me  hear  what  it  is." 

"  I  know  that  hair  has  lately  occupied  all  your 
vigils,  and  that  you  have  given  jourself  up  to  analyzing 
it ;  while  you  have  thought  of  glory,  I  have  thought  of 
commerce." 

"  Dear  Monsieur  Birotteau,  what  is  it  you  want  of 
me,  —  the  analysis  of  hair  ?  "  He  took  up  a  little  paper. 
"  I  am  about  to  read  before  the  Academy  of  Sciences 
a  monograph  on  that  subject.  Hair  is  composed  of  a 
rather  large  quantity  of  mucus,  a  small  quantity  of 
white  oil,  a  great  deal  of  greenish  oil,  iron,  a  few 
atoms  of  oxide  of  manganese,  some  phosphate  of  lime, 
a  tiny  quantity  of  carbonate  of  hme,  a  little  silica,  and 
a  good  deal  of  sulphur.  The  difiering  proportions 
of  these  component  parts  cause  the  differences  in  the 
color  of  the  hair.  Red  hair,  for  instance,  has  more 
greenish  oil  than  any  other." 

0 


180  Cesar  Birotteau. 

Ccisar  and  Popinot  opened  their  eyes  to  a  laughable 
extent. 

"  Nine  things ! "  cried  Birotteau.  "  What !  are  there 
metals  and  oils  in  hair?  Unless  I  heard  it  from  you, 
a  man  I  venerate,  I  could  not  believe  it  How  amazing ! 
God  is  great,  Monsieur  Vauquelin." 

"  Hair  is  produced  by  a  follicular  organ,"  resumed 
the  great  chemist,  —  "a  species  of  pocket,  or  sack,  open 
at  both  extremities.  By  one  end  it  is  fastened  to  the 
nerves  and  the  blood  vessels ;  from  the  other  springs 
the  hair  itself.  According  to  some  of  our  scientific 
brotherhood,  among  them  Monsieur  Blainville,  the  hair 
is  really  a  dead  matter  expelled  from  that  pouch,  or 
crypt,  which  is  filled  with  a  species  of  pulp." 

"  Then  hair  is  what  30U  might  call  threads  of  sweat !  " 
cried  Popinot,  to  whom  Cdsar  promptly  administered  a 
little  kick  on  his  heels. 

Vauquelin  smiled  at  Popinot's  idea. 

"He  knows  something,  doesn't  he?"  said  C^sar, 
looking  at  Popinot.  "But,  monsieur,  if  the  hair  is 
.«till-born,  it  is  impossible  to  give  it  life,  and  I  am  lost ! 
my  prospectus  will  be  ridiculous.  You  don't  know  how 
queer  the  public  is  ;  you  can't  go  and  teU  it  —  " 

"That  it  has  got  manure  upon  its  head,"  said  Popi- 
not, wishing  to  make  Vauquelin  laugh  again. 

"  Cephalic  catacombs,"  said  Vauquelin,  continuing 
the  joke. 

"  My  nuts  are  bought !  "  cried  Birotteau,  alive  to  the 
commercial  loss.    "  If  this  is  so  why  do  they  sell  —  " 

"Don't  be  frightened,"  said  Vauquelin,  smiling,  "I 
see  it  is  a  question  of  some  secret  about  making  the 
hair  grow  or  keeping  it  from  turning  gray.     Listen  1 


CSsar  Birotteau.  131 

this  is  my  opinion  on  the  subject,  as  the  result  of  my 
studies." 

Here  Popinot  pricked  up  his  ears  like  a  frightened 
hare. 

''The  discoloration  of  this  substance,  be  it  living  or 
dead,  is,  in  my  judgment,  produced  by  a  check  to  the 
secretion  of  the  coloring  matter ;  which  explains  why 
in  certain  cold  climates  the  fur  of  animals  loses  all 
color  and  turns  white  in  winter." 

"Hein!  Popinot." 

"  It  is  evident,"  resumed  Vauquelin,  "  that  altera- 
tions in  the  color  of  the  hair  come  from  changes  in  the 
circumjacent  atmosphere  —  " 

"Circumjacent,  Popinot!  recollect,  hold  fast  to 
that,"  cried  Cdsar. 

"Yes,"  said  Vauquelin,  "from  hot  and  cold  changes, 
or  from  internal  phenomena  which  produce  the  same 
effect.  Probably  headaches  and  other  cephalagic  affec- 
tions absorb,  dissipate,  or  displace  the  generating  fluids. 
However,  the  interior  of  the  head  concerns  physicians. 
As  for  the  exterior,  bring  on  your  cosmetics." 

"Monsieur,"  said  Birotteau,  "j'ou  restore  me  to 
life !  I  have  thought  of  selling  an  oil  of  nuts,  be- 
lieving that  the  ancients  made  use  of  that  oil  for  their 
hair;  and  the  ancients  are  the  ancients,  as  you 
know :  I  agree  with  Boileau.  Why  did  the  gladia- 
tors oil  themselves  —  " 

"  Olive  oil  is  quite  as  good  as  nut  oil,"  said  Vauque- 
lin, who  was  not  listening  to  Birotteau.  "AH  oil  is 
good  to  preserve  the  bulb  from  receiving  injury  to  the 
substances  working  within  it,  or,  as  we  should  say 
in  chemistry,  in  liquefaction.    Perhaps  you  are  right : 


132  CSsar  Birotteau. 

Dupuytren  told  me  the  oil  of  nuts  had  a  stimulating 
property'.  I  will  look  into  the  differences  between  the 
various  oils,  beech-nut,  colza,  olive,  and  hazel,  etc." 

"Then  I  am  not  mistaken,"  cried  Birotteau,  trium- 
phantly. "  I  have  coincided  with  a  great  man.  Macas- 
sar is  overthrown !  Macassar,  monsieur,  is  a  cosmetic 
given  —  that  is,  sold,  and  sold  dear  —  to  make  the 
hair  grow." 

"My  dear  Monsieur  Birotteau,"  said  Vauquelin, 
"  there  are  not  two  ounces  of  Macassar  oil  in  all 
Europe.  Macassar  oil  has  not  the  slightest  action 
upon  the  hair ;  but  the  Malays  buy  it  up  for  its  weight 
in  gold,  thinking  that  it  preserves  the  hair:  they 
don't  know  that  whale-oil  is  just  as  good.  No  power, 
chemical,  or  divine  —  " 

"  Divine !  oh,  don't  say  that.  Monsieur  Vanquelin." 

"  But,  my  dear  monsieur,  the  first  law  of  God  is  to 
be  consistent  with  himself;  without  unity,  no  power — " 

"Ah!  in  that  light  — " 

"  No  power,  as  I  sa}',  can  make  the  hair  grow  on 
bald  heads  ;  just  as  you  can  never  dye,  without  serious 
danger,  red  or  white  hair.  But  in  advertising  the  bene- 
fits of  oil  you  commit  no  mistake,  you  tell  no  falsehood, 
and  I  think  that  those  who  use  it  will  probably  preserve 
their  hair." 

"  Do  you  think  that  the  ro3'al  Academy  of  Sciences 
would  approve  of —  " 

"Oh!  there  is  no  discovery  in  all  that,"  said  Vau- 
quelin. "  Besides,  charlatans  have  so  abused  the  name 
of  the  Academj'  that  it  would  not  help  yoxx  much.  My 
conscience  will  not  allow  me  to  think  the  oil  of  nuts 
a  prodigy." 


C48ar  Birotteau.  188 

•'What  would  be  the  best  way  to  extract  it;  by 
pressure,  or  decoction?"  asked  Birotteau. 

"Pressure  between  two  hot  slabs  will  cause  the  oil 
to  flow  more  abundantly ;  but  if  obtained  hy  pressure 
between  cold  slabs  it  will  be  of  better  qualitj-.  It 
should  be  applied  to  the  skin  itself,"  added  Vauquclin, 
kindly,  "and  not  to  the  hair;  otherwise  the  effect 
might  be  lost." 

"  Recollect  all  that,  Popinot,"  said  Birotteau,  with 
an  enthusiasm  that  sent  a  glow  into  his  face.  "  You 
see  before  you,  monsieur,  a  3'oung  man  who  will  count 
this  day  among  the  finest  in  his  life.  He  knew  j'ou,  he 
venerated  j'ou,  without  ever  having  seen  yon.  We 
often  talk  of  you  in  our  home :  a  name  that  is  in  the 
heart  is  often  on  the  lips.  We  pray  for  yon  ever}-  day, 
my  wife  and  daughter  and  I,  as  we  ought  to  pray  for 
our  benefactor." 

"Too  much  for  so  little,"  said  Vauquelin,  rather 
bored  by  the  voluble  gratitude  of  the  perfumer. 

"  Ta,  ta,  ta ! "  exclaimed  Birotteau,  "  30U  can't  pre- 
vent our  loving  you,  3'ou  who  will  take  nothing  from  us. 
You  are  like  the  sun ;  you  give  light,  and  those  whom 
you  illuminate  can  give  3'ou  nothing  in  return." 

The  man  of  science  smiled  and  rose ;  the  perfumer 
and  Popinot  rose  also. 

"  Anselme,  look  well  at  this  room.  You  permit  it, 
monsieur?  Your  time  is  precious,  I  know,  but  he  will 
never  have  another  opportunit}-." 

"  Well,  have  you  got  all  j'ou  wanted?"  said  Vauque- 
lin to  Birotteau.  "  After  all,  we  are  both  commercial 
men." 

"  Pretty  nearly,  monsieur,"  said  Birotteau,  retreating 


134  C68ar  Birotteau^ 

towards  the  dining-room,  Vauquelin  following.  "  But 
to  launch  our  Comagene  Essence  we  need  a  good 
foundation  —  " 

"'Comagene'  and  'Essence'  are  two  words  that 
clash.  Call  your  cosmetic  '  Oil  of  Birotteau ; '  or,  if  you 
don't  want  to  give  your  name  to  the  world,  find  some 
other.  Why,  there 's  the  Dresden  Madonna  !  Ah,  Mon- 
sieur Birotteau,  do  you  mean  that  w^e  shall  quarrel  ?  " 

"Monsieur  Vauquelin,"  said  the  perfumer,  taking 
the  chemist's  hand.  "This  treasure  has  no  value  ex- 
cept the  time  that  I  have  spent  in  finding  it.  We  had 
to  ransack  all  Germany  to  find  it  on  China  paper  before 
lettering.  I  knew  that  you  wished  for  it  and  that  your 
occupations  did  not  leave  you  the  time  to  search  for  it ; 
I  have  been  your  commercial  traveller,  that  is  all. 
Accept  therefore,  not  a  paltry  engraving,  but  eflTorts, 
anxieties,  despatches  to  and  fro,  which  are  the  evidence 
of  m}'  complete  devotion.  Would  that  you  had  wished 
for  something  growing  on  the  sides  of  precipices,  that 
I  might  have  sought  it  and  said  to  you,  '  Here  it  is  ! ' 
Do  not  refuse  my  gift.  We  have  so  much  reason  to 
be  forgotten ;  allow  me  therefore  to  place  myself,  my 
wife,  my  daughter,  and  the  son-in-law  I  expect  to 
have,  beneath  your  eyes.  You  must  say  when  you  look 
at  the  Virgin,  '  There  are  some  people  in  the  world 
who  ai*e  thinking  of  me.' " 

"I  accept,"  said  Vauquelin. 

Popinot  and  Birotteau  wiped  their  eyes,  so  aflfected 
were  they  by  the  kindly  tone  in  which  the  academician 
uttered  the  words. 

"  Will  you  crown  your  goodness?"  said  the  perfumer. 

"  What 's  that?"  exclaimed  Vauquelin. 


CSsar  BiroUeau.  135 

"  I  assemble  my  friends  "  —  he  rose  from  his  heels, 
taking,  nevertheless,  a  modest  air  —  "  as  much  to  cele- 
brate the  emancipation  of  our  territory  as  to  com- 
memorate my  promotion  to  the  order  of  the  Legion 
of  honor  —  " 

"  Ah !  "  exclaimed  Vauquelin,  surprised. 

"  Possibly  I  showed  myself  worthy  of  that  signal  and 
royal  favor,  by  my  services  on  the  Bench  of  commerce, 
and  by  fighting  for  the  Bourbons  upon  the  steps  of 
Saint-Roch,  on  the  13th  Vendemiaire,  where  I  was 
wounded  by  Napoleon.  My  wife  gives  a  ball,  three 
weeks  from  Sunday' ;  pray  come  to  it,  monsieur.  Do 
us  the  honor  to  dine  with  us  on  that  day.  Your  pres- 
ence would  double  the  happiness  with  which  I  receive 
my  cross.     I  will  write  you  beforehand." 

"  Well,  yes,"  said  Vauquelin. 

"My  heart  swells  with  joy!"  cried  the  perfumer, 
when  he  got  into  the  street.  "  He  comes  to  my  house  ! 
I  am  afraid  I  've  forgotten  what  he  said  about  hair :  do 
you  remember  it,  Popinot ! " 

"Yes,  monsieur;  and  twenty  years  hence  I  shall 
remember  it  still." 

"What  a  great  man!  what  a  glance,  what  pene- 
tration!" said  Birotteau.  "Ah!  he  made  no  bones 
about  it ;  he  guessed  our  thoughts  at  the  first  word  ;  he 
has  given  us  the  means  of  annihilating  Macassar  oil. 
Yes  !  nothing  can  make  the  hair  gi-ow  ;  Macassar,  you 
lie !  Popinot,  our  fortune  is  made.  We  '11  go  to  the 
manufactory  to-moiTow  morning  at  seven  o'clock ;  the 
nuts  will  be  there,  and  we  will  press  out  some  oil.  It 
is  all  very  well  for  him  to  say  that  any  oil  is  good ;  if 
the  public  knew  that,  we  should  be  lost.     If  we  did  n't 


136  C48ar  Birotteau. 

put  some  scent  and  the  name  of  nuts  into  the  oil,  how 
could  we  sell  it  for  three  or  four  francs  the  four 
ounces?" 

"You  are  about  to  be  decorated,  monsieur?"  said 
Popinot,  "  what  glory  for — " 

"  Commerce  ;  that  is  true,  my  boy." 

Cesar's  triumphant  air,  as  if  certain  of  fortune,  was 
observed  by  the  clerks,  who  made  signs  at  each  other ; 
for  the  trip  in  the  hackne^^-coach,  and  the  full  dress  of 
the  cashier  and  his  master  had  thrown  them  all  into  the 
wildest  regions  of  romance.  The  mutual  satisfaction 
of  Cesar  and  Anselme,  betrayed  by  looks  diplomatically 
exchanged,  the  glance  full  of  hope  which  Popinot  cast 
now  and  then  at  Cesarine,  proclaimed  some  great  event 
and  gave  color  to  the  conjectures  of  the  clerks.  In 
their  busy  and  half  cloistral  life  the  smallest  events 
have  the  interest  which  a  prisoner  feels  in  those  of  his 
prison.  The  bearing  of  Madame  Cesar,  who  replied  to 
the  Olympian  looks  of  her  lord  with  an  air  of  distrust, 
seemed  to  point  to  some  new  enterprise  ;  for  in  ordinary 
times  Madame  Cesar,  dehghted  with  the  smallest  rou- 
tine success,  would  have  shared  his  contentment.  It 
happened,  accidentally,  that  the  receipts  for  the  day 
amounted  to  more  than  six  thousand  francs  ;  for  several 
outstanding  bills  chanced  to  be  paid. 

The  dining-room  and  the  kitchen,  lighted  from  a  little 
court,  and  separated  from  the  dining-room  by  a  passage, 
from  which  the  staircase,  taken  out  of  a  corner  of  the 
backshop,  opened  up,  was  on  the  entresol  where  in  for- 
mer days  Cesar  and  Constance  had  their  appartement ; 
in  fact,  the  dining-room,  where  the  honey-moon  had  been 
passed,  still  wore  the  look  of  a  little  salon.     During 


C6%ar  Birotteau.  137 

dinner  Raguet,  the  trusty  bo}-  of  all  work,  took  charge 
of  the  shop  ;  but  the  clerks  came  down  when  the  dessert 
was  put  on  table,  leaving  Cesar,  his  wife  and  daughter 
to  finish  their  dinner  alone  by  the  chimney  corner. 
This  habit  was  derived  from  the  Ragons,  who  kept  up 
the  old-fashioned  usages  and  customs  of  former  com- 
mercial days,  which  placed  an  enormous  distance  be- 
tween the  masters  and  the  apprentices.  Cesarine  or 
Constance  then  prepared  for  Birotteau  his  cup  of  coffee, 
which  he  took  sitting  on  a  sofa  b}'  the  corner  of  the 
fire.  At  this  hour  he  told  his  wife  all  the  little  events 
of  the  day,  and  related  what  he  had  seen  in  the  streets, 
what  was  going  on  in  the  Faubourg  du  Temple,  and 
the  difficulties  he  had  met  with  in  the  manufactory, 
et  ccetera. 

"  Wife,"  he  said,  when  the  clerks  had  gone  down, 
"  this  is  certainly  one  of  the  most  important  days  in 
our  life !  The  nuts  are  bought,  the  hydraulic  press  is 
ready  to  go  to  work,  the  land  affair  is  settled.  Here, 
lock  up  that  cheque  on  the  Bank  of  France,"  he  added, 
handing  her  Pillerault's  paper.  "The  improvements 
in  the  house  are  ordered,  the  dignity  of  our  appartement 
is  about  to  be  increased.  Bless  me !  I  saw,  down  in 
the  Cour  Batave,  a  very  singular  man,"  —  and  he  told 
the  tale  of  Monsieur  Molineux. 

"  I  see,"  said  his  wife,  interrupting  him  in  the  middle 
of  a  tirade,  "  that  you  have  gone  in  debt  two  hundred 
thousand  francs." 

"  That  is  true,  wife,"  said  C^sar,  with  mock  humility, 
"Good  God,  how  shall  we  pay  them?  It  counts  for 
nothing  that  the  lands  about  the  Madeleine  will  some 
day  become  the  finest  quarter  of  Paris." 


138  Cimr  Birotteau. 

"  Some  day,  C^sar !  " 

"Alas!"  he  said,  going  on  with  his  joke,  "my 
three  eighths  will  onlj-  be  worth  a  million  in  six  j'ears. 
How  shall  I  ever  pay  that  two  hundred  thousand 
francs?  "  said  C^sar,  with  a  gesture  of  alarm.  "  Well, 
we  shall  be  reduced  to  pay  them  with  that,"  he  added, 
pulling  from  his  pocket  a  nut,  which  he  had  taken  from 
Madame  Madou  and  carefully  preserved. 

He  showed  the  nut  between  his  fingers  to  Constance 
and  Cesarine.  His  wife  was  silent,  but  Cesarine,  much 
puzzled,  said  to  her  father,  as  she  gave  him  his  coffee, 
"  What  do  3'ou  mean,  papa,  —  are  you  joking?" 

The  perfumer,  as  well  as  the  clerks,  had  detected 
during  dinner  the  glances  which  Popinot  had  cast  at 
Cesarine,  and  he  resolved  to  clear  up  his  suspicions. 

"  Well,  my  little  daughter,"  he  said,  "  this  nut  will 
revolutionize  our  home.  From  this  day  forth  there  will 
be  one  person  the  less  under  my  roof." 

Cesarine  looked  at  her  father  with  an  eye  which 
seemed  to  say,  "What  is  that  to  me?" 

"  Popinot  is  going  away." 

Though  Cesar  was  a  poor  observer,  and  had,  more- 
over, prepared  his  phrase  as  much  to  herald  the  crea- 
tion of  the  house  of  A.  Popinot  and  Companj-,  as  to  set 
a  trap  for  his  daughter,  yet  his  paternal  tenderness 
made  him  guess  the  confused  feelings  which  rose  in 
Cesarine's  heart,  blossomed  in  roses  on  her  cheek, 
suffused  her  forehead  and  even  her  ej'es  as  she  lowered 
them.  Ct^sar  thought  that  words  must  have  passed 
between  Cesarine  and  Popinot.  He  was  mistaken : 
the  two  children  comprehended  each  otiier,  like  all 
timid  lovers,  without  a  word. 


CSsar  Birotteau.  139 

Some  moralists  hold  that  love  is  an  involuntary 
passion,  the  most  disinterested,  the  least  calculating, 
of  all  the  passions,  except  maternal  love.  This  opinion 
carries  with  it  a  vulgar  error.  Though  the  majority  of 
men  may  be  ignorant  of  the  causes  of  love,  it  is  none 
the  less  true  that  all  S3'mpathy,  moral  or  physical,  is 
based  upon  calculations  made  either  by  the  mind,  or  by 
sentiment  or  brutaUty.  Love  is  an  essentially  selfish 
passion.  Self  means  deep  calculation.  To  every  mind 
which  looks  only  at  results,  it  will  seem  at  first  sight 
singular  and  unHkely  that  a  beautiful  girl  like  Cesarine 
should  love  a  poor  lame  fellow  with  red  hair.  Yet  this 
phenomenon  is  completely  in  harmony  with  the  arith- 
metic of  middle-class  sentiments.  To  explain  it,  would 
be  to  give  the  reason  of  marriages  which  are  constantly 
looked  upon  with  surprise,  — marriages  between  tall  and 
beautiful  women  and  puny  men,  or  between  ugly  little 
creatures  and  handsome  men.  Every  man  who  is  cursed 
with  some  bodily  infirmity,  no  matter  what  it  is, — 
club-feet,  a  halting-gait,  a  humped-back,  excessive  ugli- 
ness, claret  stains  upon  the  cheek,  Roguin's  species  of 
deformity',  and  other  monstrosities  the  result  of  causes 
beyond  the  control  of  the  sufferer,  —  has  but  two 
courses  open  to  him :  either  he  must  make  himself 
feared,  or  he  must  practise  the  virtues  of  exquisite 
loving-kindness  ;  he  is  not  permitted  to  float  in  the 
middle  currents  of  average  conduct  which  are  habitual 
to  other  men.  If  he  takes  the  first  course  he  probably 
has  talent,  genius,  or  strength  of  will ;  a  man  inspires 
terror  only  by  the  power  of  evil,  respect  b}-  genius, 
fear  thiough  force  of  mind.  If  he  chooses  the  second 
course,  he  makes  himself  adored ;  he  submits  to  femi- 


140  GSsar  Birotteau. 

nine  tyrann)',  and  knows  better  how  to  love  than  men 
of  irreproachable  bodily  condition. 

Anselme,  brought  up  by  virtuous  people,  by  the 
Ragons,  models  of  the  honorable  bourgeoisie,  and  by 
his  uncle  the  judge,  had  been  led,  through  his  ingenuous 
nature  and  his  deep  religious  sentiments,  to  redeem 
the  slight  deformity  of  his  person  b^^  the  perfection  of 
his  character.  Constance  and  Cesar,  struck  by  these 
tendencies,  so  attractive  in  j'outh,  had  repeatedly  sung 
his  praises  before  Cesarine.  Petty  as  they  might  be  in 
many  ways,  husband  and  wife  were  noble  by  nature, 
and  understood  the  deep  things  of  the  heart.  Their 
praises  found  an  echo  in  the  mind  of  the  young  girl, 
who,  despite  her  innocence,  had  read  in  Anselme's  pure 
eyes  the  violent  feeling,  which  is  alwa3S  flattering  what- 
ever be  the  lover's  age,  or  rank,  or  personal  appear- 
ance. Little  Popinot  had  far  more  reason  to  adore  a 
woman  than  a  handsome  man  could  ever  have.  If  she 
were  beautiful,  he  would  love  her  madly  to  his  dj'ing 
day ;  his  fondness  would  inspire  him  with  ambition  ; 
he  would  sacrifice  his  own  life  that  his  wife's  might  be 
happy ;  he  would  make  her  mistress  of  their  home, 
and  be  himself  the  first  to  accept  her  sway.  Thus 
thought  Cesarine,  involuntarily  perhaps,  yet  not  alto- 
gether crudely ;  she  gave  a  bird's-eye  glance  at  the 
harvest  of  love  in  her  own  home,  and  reasoned  b}'  in- 
duction ;  the  happiness  of  her  mother  was  before  her 
eyes,  —  she  wished  for  no  better  fate  ;  her  instinct  told 
her  that  Anselme  was  another  Cesar,  improved  by  his 
education,  as  she  had  been  improved  by  hers.  She 
dreamed  of  Popinot  as  mayor  of  an  arrondissement, 
and  liked  to  picture  herself  taking  up  the  collections 


CSsar  Birotteau.  141 

m  their  parish  church  as  her  mother  did  at  Saint-Roch. 
She  had  reached  the  point  of  no  longer  perceiving  the 
difference  between  the  left  leg  and  the  right  leg  of  her 
lover,  and  was  even  capable  of  saying,  in  all  sincerity, 
"Does  he  limp?"  She  loved  those  liquid  e3es,  and 
liked  to  watch  the  effect  her  own  glance  had  upon  them, 
as  they  lighted  up  for  a  moment  with  a  chaste  flame, 
and  then  fell,  sadly. 

Roguin's  head-clerk,  Alexandre  Crottat,  who  was 
gifted  with  the  precocious  experience  which  comes 
from  knowledge  acquired  in  a  lawyer's  office,  had  an 
air  and  manner  that  was  half  cynical,  half  sill}',  which 
revolted  Cesarine,  already  disgusted  by  the  trite  and 
commonplace  character  of  his  conversation.  The 
silence  of  Popinot,  on  the  other  hand,  revealed  his 
gentle  nature ;  she  loved  the  smile,  parti}'  mournful, 
with  which  he  listened  to  trivial  vulgarities.  The  silly 
nonsense  which  made  him  smile  filled  her  with  repul- 
sion ;  they  were  grave  or  gay  in  sympathy.  This 
hidden  vantage-ground  did  not  hinder  Anselme  from 
plunging  into  his  work ;  and  his  indefatigable  ardor 
in  it  pleased  Cesarine,  for  she  guessed  that  when  his 
comrades  in  the  shop  said,  "  Mademoiselle  Cesarine 
will  marr}'  Roguin's  head-clerk,"  the  poor  lame  Anselme, 
with  his  red  hair,  did  not  despair  of  winning  her  himself. 
A  high  hope  is  the  proof  of  a  great  love. 

"  Where  is  he  going?  "  asked  Cesarine  of  her  father, 
trying  to  appear  indifferent. 

"  He  is  to  set  up  for  himself  in  the  Rue  des  Cinq- 
Diamants  ;  and,  my  faith  !  by  the  grace  of  God  !  "  cried 
C^sar,  whose  exclamations  were  not  understood  by  his 
wife,  nor  by  his  daughter. 


142  CSsar  Birotteau. 

When  Birotteau  encountered  a  moral  difficult}'  he  did 
as  the  insects  do  when  there  is  an  obstacle  in  their 
wa}',  —  he  turned  either  to  the  right  or  to  the  left.  He 
therefore  changed  the  conversation,  resolving  to  talk 
over  C<^sarine  with  his  wife. 

"I  told  all  your  fears  and  fancies  about  Roguin  to 
your  uncle,  and  he  laughed,"  he  said  to  Constance. 

"You  should  never  tell  what  we  say  to  each  other !  " 
cried  Constance.  "  That  poor  Roguin  may  be  the  best 
man  in  the  world ;  he  is  fiftj'-eight  years  old,  and 
perhaps  he  thinks  no  longer  of — " 

She  stopped  short,  seeing  that  Cesarine  was  listening 
attentively,  and  made  a  sign  to  Cdsar. 

"Then  I  have  done  right  to  agree  to  the  affaii-," 
said  Birotteau. 

"  You  are  the  master,"  she  answered. 

Cesar  took  his  wife  by  the  hands  and  kissed  her 
brow ;  that  answer  always  conveyed  her  tacit  assent 
to  her  husband's  projects. 

"  Now,  then,"  cried  the  perfumer,  to  his  clerks,  when 
he  went  back  to  them,  "  the  shop  will  be  closed  at  ten 
o'clock.  Gentlemen,  lend  a  hand  !  a  great  feat !  We 
must  move,  during  the  night,  all  the  furniture  from 
the  first  floor  to  the  second  floor.  We  shall  have,  as 
they  say,  to  put  the  little  pots  in  the  big  pots,  for  my 
architect  must  have  his  elbows  free  to-morrow  morn- 
ing—  Popinot  has  gone  out  without  m}-  permission," 
he  cried,  looking  round  and  not  seeing  his  cashier. 
"  Ah,  true,  he  does  not  sleep  here  any  more,  I  forgot 
that.  He  is  gone,"  thought  Cesar,  "  either  to  write 
down  Monsieur  Vauquelin's  ideas,  or  else  to  hire 
the  shop." 


Cimr  Birotteau.  148 

"We  all  know  the  cause  of  this  household  change," 
said  Celestin,  speaking  in  behalf  of  the  two  other  clerks 
and  Raguet,  grouped  behind  him.  "Is  it  allowable  to 
congratulate  monsieur  upon  an  honor  which  reflects  its 
light  upon  the  whole  establishment?  Popinot  has  told 
us  that  monsieur  —  " 

"  Hey,  hey  !  m}^  children,  it  is  all  true.  I  have  been 
decorated.  I  am  about  to  assemble  my  friends,  not 
only  to  celebrate  the  emancipation  of  our  territory,  but 
to  commemorate  my  promotion  to  the  order  of  the 
Legion  of  honor.  I  may,  possibly,  have  shown  myself 
worthy  of  that  signal  and  rojal  favor  by  my  services 
on  the  Bench  of  commerce,  and  by  fighting  for  the 
royal  cause  ;  which  I  defended  —  at  j^our  age  —  upon 
the  steps  of  Saint-Roch  on  the  13th  Vendemiaire,  and 
I  give  3'ou  my  word  that  Napoleon,  called  emperor, 
wounded  me  himself!  wounded  me  in  the  thigh;  and 
Madame  Ragon  nursed  me.  Take  courage  !  recompense 
comes  to  everj'  man.  Behold,  my  sons !  misfortunes 
are  never  wasted." 

"They  will  never  fight  in  the  streets  again,"  said 
Celestin. 

"  Let  us  hope  so,"  said  C^sar,  who  thereupon  went 
off  into  an  harangue  to  the  clerks,  which  he  wound  up 
by  inviting  them  to  the  ball. 

The  vision  of  a  ball  inspired  the  three  clerks, 
Raguet,  knd  Virginie  the  cook  with  an  ardor  that  gave 
them  the  strength  of  acrobats.  They  came  and  went  up 
and  down  the  stairs,  carrying  everything  and  breaking 
nothing.  B3'  two  o'clock  in  the  morning  the  removal 
was  eflected.  Cesar  and  his  wife  slept  on  the  second 
floor.     Popinot's  bedroom  became  that  of  Celestin  and 


144  CSsar  Birotteau. 

the  second  clerk.  On  the  third  floor  the  furniture  was 
stored  provisionally. 

In  the  grasp  of  that  magnetic  ardor,  produced  by  an 
influx  of  the  nervous  fluid,  which  lights  a  brazier  in  the 
midriff'  of  ambitious  men  and  lovers  intent  on  high 
emprise,  Popinot,  so  gentle  and  tranquil  usually,  pawed 
the  earth  like  a  thoroughbred  before  the  race,  when  he 
came  down  into  the  shop  after  dinner. 

"  "What's  the  matter  with  you?"  asked  Celestin. 

*'  Oh,  what  a  day  !  my  dear  fellow,  what  a  day  !  I  am 
set  up  in  business,  and  Monsieur  Cesar  is  decorated." 

"  You  are  very  lucky  if  the  master  helps  you,"  said 
Celestin. 

Popinot  did  not  answer;  he  disappeared,  driven  by 
a  furious  wind,  —  the  wind  of  success. 

"Lucky!"  said  one  of  the  clerks,  who  was  sorting 
gloves  by  the  dozen,  to  another  who  was  comparing 
prices  on  the  tickets.  "  Lucky  !  the  master  has  found 
out  that  Popinot  is  making  eyes  at  Mademoiselle  C^sar- 
ine,  and,  as  the  old  fellow  is  pretty  clever,  he  gets  rid 
of  Anselme ;  it  would  be  difficult  to  refuse  him  point- 
blank,  on  account  of  his  relations.  Celestin  thinks  the 
trick  is  luck  or  generosity ! " 


CSsar  Birotteau.  145 


VI. 


Anselme  Popinot  went  down  the  Rue  Saint-Honord 
and  rushed  along  the  Rue  des  Deux-Ecus  to  sfeize  upon 
a  young  man  whom  his  commercial  second-sight  pointed 
out  to  him  as  che  principal  instrument  of  his  future 
fortune.  Popinot  the  judge  had  once  done  a  great 
service  to  the  cleverest  of  all  commercial  travellers, 
to  him  whose  triumphant  loquacity  and  activity  were  to 
win  him,  in  coming  years,  the  title  of  The  Illustrious. 
Devoted  especially  to  the  hat-trade  and  the  artide- 
J*aris,  this  prince  of  travellers  was  called,  at  the  time 
of  which  we  write,  purely  and  simply,  Gaudissart.  At 
the  age  of  twenty-two  he  was  already  famous  by  the 
power  of  his  commercial  magnetism.  In  those  days 
he  was  slim,  with  a  joyous  eye,  expressive  face,  un- 
wearied memory,  and  a  glance  that  guessed  the  wants 
of  every  one ;  and  he  deserved  to  be,  what  in  fact  he 
became,  the  king  of  commercial  travellers,  the  French- 
man "par  excellence.  A  few  dajs  earlier  Popinot  had 
met  Gaudissart,  who  mentioned  that  he  was  on  the 
point  of  departure ;  the  hope  of  finding  him  still  in 
Paris  sent  the  lover  flying  into  the  Rue  des  Deux- 
Ecus,  where  he  learned  that  the  traveller  had  engaged 
his  place  at  the  Messageries-Royales.  To  bid  adieu 
to  his  beloved  capital,  Gaudissart  had  gone  to  see 
a  new  piece  at  the  Vaudeville ;   Popinot  resolved  to 

10 


146  CSmr  Birotteau. 

wait  for  him.  Was  it  not  drawing  a  cheque  on  fortune 
to  intrust  the  launching  of  the  oil  of  nuts  to  this  in- 
comparable steersman  of  mercantile  inventions,  already 
petted  and  courted  by  the  richest  firms  ?  Popinot  had 
reason  to  feel  sure  of  Gaudissart.  The  commercial 
traveller,  so  knowing  in  the  art  of  entangling  that  most 
wary  of  human  beings,  the  little  provincial  trader,  had 
himself  become  entangled  in  the  first  conspiracy  at- 
tempted against  the  Bourbons  after  the  Hundred  Days. 
Gaudissart,  to  whom  the  open  firmament  of  heaven  was 
indispensable,  found  himself  shut  up  in  prison,  under  the 
weight  of  an  accusation  for  a  capital  offence.  Popinot 
the  judge,  who  presided  at  the  trial,  released  him  on 
the  ground  that  it  was  nothing  worse  than  his  im- 
prudent folly  which  had  mixed  him  up  in  the  affair. 
A  judge  anxious  to  please  the  powers  in  office,  or  a 
rabid  roj-alist,  would  have  sent  the  luckless  travel- 
ler to  the  scaffold.  Gaudissart,  who  believed  he  owed 
his  life  to  the  judge,  cherished  the  grief  of  being 
unable  to  make  his  savior  any  other  return  than 
that  of  sterile  gratitude.  As  he  could  not  thank  a 
judge  for  doing  justice,  he  went  to  the  Ragons  and 
declared  himself  liege-vassal  forever  to  the  house  of 
Popinot. 

While  waiting  about  for  Gaudissart,  Anselme  natu- 
rally went  to  look  at  the  shop  in  the  Rue  des  Cinq-Dia- 
mants,  and  got  the  address  of  the  owner,  for  the  purpose 
of  negotiating  a  lease.  As  he  sauntered  through  the 
dusky  labj'rinth  of  the  great  market,  thinking  how  to 
achieve  a  rapid  success,  he  suddenly  came,  in  the  Rue 
Aubry-le-Boucher,  upon  a  rare  chance,  and  one  of  good 
omen,  with^which  he  resolved  to  regale  Cesar  on  tha 


CSsar  Birotteau,  147 

morrow.  Soon  after,  while  standing  about  the  door 
of  the  Hotel  du  Commerce,  at  the  end  of  the  Rue  des 
Deux-Ecus,  about  midnight,  he  heard,  in  the  far  dis- 
tance of  the  Rue  de  Grenelle,  a  vaudeville  chorus  sung 
by  Gaudissart,  with  a  cane  accompaniment  significantly 
rapped  upon  the  pavement. 

"  Monsieur,"  said  Anselme,  suddenly  appearing  from 
the  doorwa}^  "  two  words?" 

"  Eleven,  if  you  like,"  said  the  commercial  traveller, 
brandishing  his  loaded  cane  over  the  aggressor. 

"  I  am  Popinot,"  said  poor  Anselme. 

"  Enough  ! "  cried  Gaudissart,  recognizing  him. 
"What  do  you  need?  Money?  —  absent,  on  leave, 
but  we  can  get  it.  My  arm  for  a  duel?  —  all  is  yours, 
from  my  head  to  my  heels,"  and  he  sang,  — 

•'Behold!  behold! 
A  Frenchman  true !  " 

"  Come  and  talk  with  me  for  ten  minutes ;  not  in 
your  room,  —  we  might  be  overheard,  —  but  on  the  Quai 
de  I'Horloge ;  there 's  no  one  there  at  this  hour,"  said 
Popinot.    "It  is  about  something  important." 

"  Exciting,  hey  ?    Proceed." 

In  ten  minutes  Gaudissart,  put  in  possession  of 
Popinot's  secret,  saw  its  importance. 

"  Come  forth !  perfumers,  hair-dressers,  petty  retailers ! " 

sang  Gaudissart,  mimicking  Lafon  in  the  r61e  of  the 
Cid.  "  I  shall  grab  every  shopkeeper  in  France  and 
Navarre.  —  Oh,  an  idea !  I  was  about  to  start ;  I 
remain ;  I  shall  take  commissions  from  the  Parisian 
perfumers." 


148  CSBar  Birotteau. 

"Why?" 

"To  strangle  your  rivals,  simpleton!  If  I  take 
their  orders  I  can  make  their  perfidious  cosmetics 
drink  oil,  simply  by  talking  and  working  for  j^ours 
onl}'.  A  first-rate  traveller's  trick  !  Ha !  ha !  we  are 
the  diplomatists  of  commerce.  Famous  !  As  for  3'our 
prospectus,  I  '11  take  charge  of  that.  I  've  got  a  friend 
—  early  childhood  —  Andoche  Finot,  son  of  the  hat- 
maker  in  the  Rue  du  Coq,  the  old  buflTer  who  launched 
me  into  travelling  on  hats.  Andoche,  who  has  a  great 
deal  of  wit,  —  he  got  it  out  of  aU  the  heads  tiled  by  his 
father,  —  he  is  in  literature  ;  he  does  the  minor  theatres 
in  the  "  Courrier  des  Spectacles."  His  father,  an  old 
dog  chock-full  of  reasons  for  not  liking  wit,  won't  be- 
lieve in  it ;  impossible  to  make  him  see  that  mind  can 
be  sold,  sells  itself  in  fact :  he  won't  believe  in  anjthing 
but  the  three-sixes.  Old  Finot  manages  joung  Finot 
by  famine.  Andoche,  a  capable  man,  no  fool,  —  I 
don't  consort  with  fools,  except  commercially,  —  An- 
doche makes  epigrams  for  the  "  Fidele  Berger,"  which 
pays ;  while  the  other  papers,  for  which  he  works  like 
a  gallej'-slave,  keep  him  down  on  his  marrow-bones 
in  the  dust.  Are  not  they  jealous,  those  fellows? 
Just  the  same  in  the  article-Paris!  Finot  wrote  a 
superb  comedy  in  one  act  for  Mademoiselle  Mars, 
most  glorious  of  the  glorious  !  —  ah,  there 's  a  woman 
I  love !  —  Well,  in  order  to  get  it  played  he  had  to 
take  it  to  the  Gaite.  Andoche  understands  prospec- 
tuses, he  worms  himself  into  the  mercantile  mind  ;  and 
he 's  not  proud,  he  '11  concoct  it  for  us  gratis.  Damn 
it !  with  a  bowl  of  bunch  and  a  few  cakes  we  '11  get  it 
out  of  bim  ;  for,  Popinot,  no  nonsense !  I  am  to  travel 


CSsar  Birotteau.  149 

on  3'our  commission  without  pay :  your  competitors- 
shall  pay;  I'll  diddle  it  out  of  them.  Let  us  under- 
stand each  other  clearl3\  As  for  me,  this  triumph  is 
an  affair  of  honor.  My  reward  is  to  be  best  man  at 
your  wedding !  I  shall  go  to  Italy,  German}^,  England ! 
I  shall  carr}'  with  me  placards  in  all  languages,  paste 
them  everywhere,  in  villages,  on  doors  of  churches,  all 
the  best  spots  I  can  find  in  provincial  towns  !  The  oil 
shall  sparkle,  scintillate,  glisten  on  every  head.  Ha ! 
your  marriage  shall  not  be  a  sham ;  we  '11  make  it  a 
pageant,  colors  fljing  !  You  shall  have  your  Cesarine, 
or  my  name  shall  not  be  Illustrious,  —  that  is  what 
Pere  Finot  calls  me  for  having  got  off  his  gray  hats.  In 
selling  your  oil  I  keep  to  my  own  sphere,  the  human 
head ;  hats  and  oil  are  well-known  preservatives  of  the 
public  hair." 

Popinot  returned  to  his  aunt's  house,  where  he 
was  to  sleep,  in  such  a  fever,  caused  by  his  visions 
of  success,  that  the  streets  seemed  to  him  to  be  run- 
ning oil.  He  slept  little,  dreamed  that  his  hair  was 
madly  growing,  and  saw  two  angels  who  unfolded, 
as  they  do  in  melodramas,  a  scroll  on  which  was 
written  "  Oil  Cesarienne."  He  woke,  recollected  the 
dream,  and  vowed  to  give  the  oil  of  nuts  that  sacred 
name,  accepting  the  sleeping  fancy  as  a  celestial 
mandate. 

C^sar  and  Popinot  were  at  their  work-shop  in  the 
Faubourg  du  Temple  the  next  morning  long  before  the 
arrival  of  the  nuts.  While  waiting  for  Madame  Ma- 
dou's  porters,  Popinot  triumphantly  recounted  his  treaty 
of  alliance  with  Gaudissart. 


150  CSsar  Birotteau, 

"  Have  we  indeed  the  illustrious  Gaudissart?  Then 
are  we  millionaires ! "  cried  the  perfumer,  extending  his 
hand  to  his  cashier  with  an  air  which  Louis  XIV.  must 
have  worn  when  he  received  the  Marechal  de  Villars 
on  his  return  from  Denain. 

"  We  have  something  besides,"  said  the  happj'  clerk, 
producing  from  his  pocket  a  bottle  of  a  squat  shape, 
like  a  pumpkin,  and  ribbed  on  the  sides.  "I  have 
found  ten  thousand  bottles  like  that,  all  made  ready 
to  hand,  at  four  sous,  and  six  months'  credit." 

"Anselme,"  said  Birotteau,  contemplating  the  won- 
drous shape  of  the  flask,  "yesterday  [here  his  tone 
of  voice  became  solemn]  in  the  Tuileries,  —  3'es,  no 
later  than  yesterday,  —  you  said  to  me,  '  I  will  succeed.' 
To-day  I  —  I  say  to  you,  'You  will  succeed.'  Four 
sous  !  six  months  !  an  unparalleled  shape  !  Macassar 
trembles  to  its  foundations !  Was  I  not  right  to  seize 
upon  the  only  nuts  in  Paris?  Where  did  you  find  these 
bottles?" 

"I  was  waiting  to  speak  to  Gaudissart,  and  saun- 
tering —  " 

"  Just  like  me,  when  I  found  the  Arab  book,"  cried 
Birotteau. 

"  Coming  down  the  Rue  Aubr^'-le-Boucher,  I  saw  in 
a  wholesale  glass  place,  where  they  make  blown  glass 
and  cases,  —  an  immense  place,  —  I  caught  sight  of  this 
flask ;  it  blinded  my  eyes  like  a  sudden  light ;  a  voice 
cried  to  me,  '  Here 's  j'our  chance  !  * " 

"Born  merchant!  he  shall  have  my  daughter," 
muttered  Cesar. 

"I  went  in ;  I  saw  thousands  of  these  bottles  packed 
in  cases." 


CSsar  Birotteau.  161 

"You  asked  about  them?" 
■  "  D030U  think  me  such  a  ninny?"  cried  Anselme,  in 
a  grieved  tone. 

"  Born  merchant !  "  repeated  Birotteau. 

"I  asked  for  glass  cases  for  the  little  wax  Jesus; 
and  while  I  was  bargaining  about  them  I  found  fault 
with  the  shape  of  the  bottles.  From  one  thing  to  an- 
other, I  trapped  the  man  into  admitting  that  Faille  and 
Bouchot,  who  lately  failed,  were  starting  a  new  cos- 
metic and  wanted  a  peculiar  style  of  bottle ;  he  was 
doubtful  about  them  and  asked  for  half  the  money 
down.  Faille  and  Bouchot,  expecting  to  succeed,  paid 
the  mone}' ;  they  failed  while  the  bottles  were  making. 
The  assignees,  when  called  upon  to  pay  the  bill,  arranged 
to  leave  him  the  bottles  and  the  money  in  hand,  as  an 
indemnity  for  the  manufacture  of  articles  thought  to  be 
ridiculous  in  shape,  and  quite  unsalable.  They  cost 
originally  eight  sous ;  he  was  glad  to  get  rid  of  them 
for  four ;  for,  as  he  said,  God  knows  how  long  he  might 
have  on  his  hands  a  shape  for  which  there  was  no  sale  ! 
'Are  you  willing,'  I  said  to  him.  Ho  furnish  ten  thou- 
sand at  four  sous  ?  If  so,  I  may  perhaps  relieve  you  of 
them.  I  am  a  clerk  at  Monsieur  Birotteau's.'  I  caught 
him,  I  led  him,  I  mastered  him,  I  worked  him  up,  and 
he  is  all  ours." 

"  Four  sous  !  "  said  Birotteau.  "  Do  you  know  that 
we  could  use  oil  at  three  francs,  and  make  a  profit 
of  thirty  sous,  and  give  twenty  sous  discount  to  re- 
tailers?" 

"  Oil  C^sarienne  ! "  cried  Popinot. 

"Oil  C^sarienne?  —  Ah,  lover!  would  you  flatter 
both  father  and  daughter?    Well,  well,  so  be  it;  Oil 


152  C^sar  JBirotteau. 

Cesaricnne  !  The  Cesars  owned  the  whole  world.  They 
must  have  had  fine  hair." 

"Cesar  was  bald,"  said  Popinot. 

"  Because  he  never  used  our  oil.  Three  francs  for  the 
Oil  Cdsarienne,  while  Macassar  Oil  costs  double  !  Gau- 
dissart  to  the  fore  !  We  shall  make  a  hundred  thousand 
francs  this  year,  for  we  '11  pour  on  every  head  that  re- 
spects itself  a  dozen  bottles  a  3'ear,  —  eighteen  francs ; 
say  eighteen  thousand  heads,  —  one  hundred  and  eighty 
thousand  francs.     We  are  millionnaires  !  " 

The  nuts  delivered,  Raguet,  the  workmen,  Popinot, 
and  C^sar  shelled  a  sufficient  quantity,  and  before  four 
o'clock  thej^  had  several  pounds  of  oil.  Popinot  carried 
the  product  to  show  to  Vauquelin,  who  made  him  a  pres- 
ent of  a  recipe  for  mixing  the  essence  of  nuts  with  other 
and  less  costly  oleaginous  substances,  and  scenting  it. 
Popinot  went  to  work  at  once  to  take  out  a  patent  for 
the  invention  and  all  improvements  thereon.  The  de- 
voted Gaudissart  lent  him  the  money  to  pa}'  the  fees, 
for  Popinot  was  ambitious  to  pa}'  his  share  in  the 
undertaking. 

Prosperity  brings  with  it  an  intoxication  which  infe- 
rior men  are  unable  to  resist.  Cesar's  exaltation  of 
spirit  had  a  result  not  difficult  to  foresee.  Grindot 
came,  and  presented  a  colored  sketch  of  a  charming 
interior  view  of  the  proposed  appartement.  Birotteau, 
seduced,  agreed  to  everything ;  and  soon  the  house, 
and  the  heart  of  Constance,  began  to  quiver  under  the 
blows  of  pick  and  hammer.  The  house-painter,  Mon- 
sieur Lourdois,  a  very  rich  contractor,  who  had  prom- 
ised that  nothing  should  be  wanting,  talked  of  gilding 
the  salon.    On  hearing  that  word  Constance  interposed. 


C6iar  Birotteau.  163 

"Monsieur  Lourdois,"  she  said,  "you  have  an  in- 
come of  thirty  thousand  francs,  you  occupy  your  own 
house,  and  you  can  do  what  30U  like  to  it;  but  the 
rest  of  us  —  " 

"  Madame,  commerce  ought  to  shine  and  not  permit 
itself  to  be  kept  in  the  shade  by  the  aristocracy'.  Be- 
sides, Monsieur  Birotteau  is  in  the  government ;  he  is 
before  the  eyes  of  the  world  —  " 

"  Yes,  but  he  still  keeps  a  shop,"  said  Constance,  in 
the  hearing  of  the  clerks  and  the  five  persons  who  were 
listening  to  her.  "  Neither  he,  nor  I,  nor  his  friends, 
nor  his  enemies  will  forget  that." 

Birotteau  rose  upon  the  points  of  his  toes  and  fell 
back  upon  his  heels  several  times,  his  hands  crossed 
behind  him. 

"  My  wife  is  right,"  he  said  ;  "  we  should  be  modest 
in  prosperity.  Moreover,  as  long  as  a  man  is  in  busi- 
ness he  should  be  careful  of  his  expenses,  limited  in 
his  luxury  ;  the  law  itself  imposes  the  obligation,  —  he 
must  not  allow  himself  "  excessive  expenditures."  If  the 
enlargement  of  my  home  and  its  decoration  were  to  go 
beyond  due  limits,  it  would  be  wrong  in  me  to  permit 
it ;  you  jourself  would  blame  me,  Lourdois.  The 
neighborhood  has  its  eye  upon  me ;  successful  men 
incur  jealousj^  envy.  Ah !  you  will  soon  know  that, 
young  man,"  he  said  to  Grindot;  "  if  we  are  calumni- 
ated, at  least  let  us  give  no  handle  to  the  calumny." 

"  Neither  calumny  nor  evil-speaking  can  touch  you," 
said  Lourdois;  "your  position  is  unassailable.  But 
your  business  habits  are  so  strong  that  you  must 
argue  over  every  enterprise  ;  you  are  a  deep  one  —  " 

"True,  I  have  some  experience  in  business.     You 


154  CSsar  Birotteau. 

know,  of  course,  wh}'  I  make  this  enlargement?  If  I 
insist  on  punctualit}'  in  the  completion  of  the  work, 
itis  — " 

"  No." 

"Well,  my  wife  and  I  are  about  to  assemble  our 
friends,  as  much  to  celebrate  the  emancipation  of  our 
territorj^  as  to  commemorate  my  promotion  to  the  order 
of  the  Legion  of  honor  —  " 

"What  do  30U  say?"  said  Lourdois,  "have  they 
given  you  the  cross?" 

"  Yes  ;  I  maj'  possibly  have  shown  myself  worthy  of 
that  signal  royal  favor  by  mj'  services  on  the  Bench 
of  commerce,  and  by  fighting  for  the  Bourbons  upon 
the  steps  of  Saint-Roch,  on  the  13th  Vendt^miaire, 
where  I  was  wounded  by  Napoleon.  Come  to  the 
ball,  and  bring  your  wife  and  daughter." 

"  Charmed  with  the  honor  you  deign  to  pay  me,"  said 
Lourdois  (a  liberal).  "But  you  are  a  deep  one.  Papa 
Birotteau  ;  3'ou  want  to  make  sure  that  I  shall  not  break 
my  word,  —  that 's  the  reason  you  invite  me.  Well,  I  '11 
employ  my  best  workmen  ;  we  '11  build  the  fires  of  hell 
and  dry  the  paint.  I  must  find  some  desiccating  pro- 
cess ;  it  would  never  do  to  dance  in  a  fog  from  the  wet 
plaster.     We  will  varnish  to  hide  the  smell." 

Three  days  later  the  commercial  circles  of  the  quarter 
were  in  a  flutter  at  the  announcement  of  Birottean's 
ball.  Everybody  could  see  for  themselves  the  props 
and  scaffoldings  necessitated  by  the  change  of  the 
staircase,  the  square  wooden  funnels  down  which  the 
rubbish  was  thrown  into  the  carts  stationed  in  the 
street.  The  sight  of  men  working  by  torchlight — for 
there  were  day  workmen  and  night  workmen  —  arrested 


CSsar  Birotteau.  155 

all  the  idlers  and  busybodies  in  the  street ;  gossip,  based 
on  these  preparations,  proclaimed  a  sumptuous  forth- 
coming event. 

On  Sunday,  the  day  Cesar  had  appointed  to  conclude 
the  affair  of  the  lands  about  the  Madeleine,  Monsieur  and 
Madame  Ragon,  and  uncle  Pillerault  arrived  about  four 
o'clock,  just  after  vespers.  In  view  of  the  demolition 
that  was  going  on,  so  Cesar  said,  he  could  only  invite 
Charles  Claparon,  Crottat,  and  Roguin.  The  notary 
brought  with  him  the  "Journal  des  Debats  "  in  which 
Monsieur  de  la  Billardiere  had  inserted  the  following 
article :  — 

"  We  learn  that  the  deliverance  of  our  territory  will  be 
feted  with  enthusiasm  throughout  France.  In  Paris  the 
members  of  the  municipal  body  feel  that  the  time  has  come 
to  restore  the  capital  to  that  accustomed  splendor  which 
under  a  becoming  sense  of  propriety  was  laid  aside  during 
the  foreign  occupation.  The  mayors  and  deputy-mayors 
each  propose  to  give  a  ball;  this  national  movement  will 
no  doubt  be  followed,  and  the  winter  promises  to  be  a  bril- 
liant one.  Among  the  fetes  now  preparing,  the  one  most 
talked  of  is  the  ball  of  Monsieur  Birotteau,  lately  named 
chevalier  of  the  Legion  of  honor  and  well-known  for  his 
devotion  to  the  royal  cause.  Monsieur  Birotteau,  wounded 
in  the  affair  of  Saint-Roch,  on  the  13th  Yendemiaire,  was 
one  of  the  most  respected  judges  in  the  department  of  com- 
merce, and  therefore  has  doubly  merited  this  honor." 

"How  well  they  write  nowadays,"  cried  C^sar. 
"  They  are  talking  about  us  in  the  papers,"  he  said 
to  Pillerault. 

"  Well,  what  of  it?"  answered  his  uncle,  who  had  a 
special  antipathy  to  the  "  Journal  des  Debats." 


156  CSsar  Birotteau. 

"  That  article  may  help  to  sell  the  Paste  of  Sultans 
and  the  Carminative  Balm,"  whispered  Madame  Cesar 
to  Madame  Ragon,  not  sharing  the  intoxication  of  her 
husband. 

Madame  Ragon,  a  tall  woman,  dry  and  wrinkled, 
with  a  pinched  nose  and  thin  lips,  bore  a  spurious 
resemblance  to  a  marquise  of  the  old  court.  The 
circles  round  her  eyes  had  spread  to  a  wide  circum- 
ference, like  those  of  elderly  women  who  have  known 
sorrow.  The  severe  and  dignified,  although  affable, 
expression  of  her  countenance  inspired  respect.  She 
had,  withal,  a  certain  oddity  about  her,  which  excited 
notice,  but  never  ridicule ;  and  this  was  exhibited  in 
her  dress  and  habits.  She  wore  mittens,  and  carried 
in  all  weathers  a  cane  sunshade,  like  that  used  by 
Queen  Marie- Antoinette  at  Trianon ;  her  gown  (the 
favorite  color  was  pale-brown,  the  shade  of  dead  leaves) 
fell  from  her  hips  in  those  inimitable  folds  the  secret 
of  which  the  dowagers  of  the  olden  time  have  carried 
away  with  them.  She  retained  the  black  mantilla 
trimmed  with  black  lace  woven  in  large  square 
meshes ;  her  caps,  old-fashioned  in  shape,  had  the 
quaint  charm  which  we  see  in  silhouettes  relieved 
against  a  white  background.  She  took  snuff  with 
exquisite  nicet}'  and  with  the  gestures  which  j'oung 
people  of  the  present  day  who  have  had  the  happiness 
of  seeing  their  grandmothers  and  great-aunts  replacing 
their  gold  snuff-boxes  solemnly  on  the  tables  beside 
them,  and  shaking  off  the  grains  which  strayed  upon 
their  kerchiefs,  will  doubtless  remember. 

The  Sieur  Ragon  was  a  little  man,  not  over  five 
feet  high,  with  a  face  like  a  nut-cracker,  in  which  could 


CSsar  Birotteau.  157 

be  seen  only  two  eyes,  two  sharp  cheek-bones,  a  nose 
and  a  chin.  Having  no  teeth  he  swallowed  half  his 
words,  though  his  style  of  conversation  was  effluent, 
gallant,  pretentious,  and  smiling,  with  the  smile  he  for- 
merly wore  when  he  received  beautiful  great  ladies  at 
the  door  of  his  shop.  Powder,  well  raked  off,  defined 
upon  his  cranium  a  nebulous  half-circle,  flanked  b}' 
two  pigeon-wings,  divided  by  a  little  queue  tied  with 
a  ribbon.  He  wore  a  bottle-blue  coat,  a  white  waist- 
coat, small-clothes  and  silk  stockings,  shoes  with  gold 
buckles,  and  black  silk  gloves.  The  most  marked  feat- 
ure of  his  behavior  was  his  habit  of  going  through  the 
street  holding  his  hat  in  his  hand.  He  looked  like  a 
messenger  of  the  Chamber  of  Peers,  or  an  usher  of  the 
king's  bedchamber,  or  any  of  those  persons  placed  near 
to  some  form  of  power  from  which  they  get  a  reflected 
light,  though  of  little  account  themselves. 

"  "Well,  Birotteau,"  he  said,  with  a  magisterial  air, 
*'  do  3'ou  repent,  my  bo}',  for  having  listened  to  us  in 
the  old  times  ?  Did  we  ever  doubt  the  gratitude  of  our 
beloved  sovereigns  ?  " 

"You  have  been  very  happy,  dear  child,"  said 
Madame  Ragon  to  Madame  Birotteau. 

"Yes,  indeed,"  answered  Constance,  alwaj'S  under 
the  spell  of  the  cane  parasol,  the  butterflj^  cap,  the 
tight  sleeves,  and  the  great  kerchief  a  la  Julie  w^hich 
Madame  Ragon  wore. 

"  Cesarine  is  charming.  Come  here,  my  love,"  said 
Madame  Ragon,  in  her  shrill  voice  and  patronizing 
manner. 

"Shall  we  do  the  business  before  dinner?"  asked 
uncle  Pillerault. 


158  CSsar  Birotteau. 

"We  are  waiting  for  Monsieur  Claparon,"  said 
Roguin,  "  I  left  Lim  dressing  himself." 

"Monsieur  Roguin,"  said  Cesar,  "I  hope  you  told 
him  that  we  should  dine  in  a  wretched  little  room  on 
the  entresol — " 

"  He  thought  it  superb  sixteen  years  ago,"  murmured 
Constance. 

"  —  among  workmen  and  rubbish." 

"Bah!  you  will  find  him  a  good  fellow,  with  no 
pretension,"  said  Roguin. 

"I  have  put  Raguet  on  guard  in  the  shop.  We 
can't  go  through  our  own  door;  ever}'thing  is  pulled 
down." 

"  Why  did  yon  not  bring  your  nephew?"  said  Pille- 
rault  to  Madame  Ragon. 

"  Shall  we  not  see  him?"  asked  C^sarine. 

"No,  my  love,"  said  Madame  Ragon;  "  Anselme, 
dear  boy,  is  working  himself  to  death.  That  bad- 
smelling  Rue  des  Cinq-Diamants,  without  sun  and  with- 
out air,  frightens  me.  The  gutter  is  always  blue  or 
green  or  black.  I  am  afraid  he  will  die  of  it.  But 
when  a  young  man  has  something  in  his  head  — "  and 
she  looked  at  Cesarine  with  a  gesture  which  explained 
that  the  word  head  meant  heart. 

"  Has  he  got  his  lease?"  asked  Cesar. 

"  Yesterdaj^,  before  a  notary,"  replied  Ragon.  "  He 
took  the  place  for  eighteen  yeai's,  but  they  exacted  six 
months'  rent  in  advance." 

"  Well,  Monsieur  Ragon,  are  you  satisfied  with  me?** 
said  the  perfumer.  "  I  have  given  him  the  secret  of  a 
great  discovery  —  " 

"  We  know  you  by  heart,  C^sar,"  said  little  Ragon, 


Cimr  Birotteau.  159 

taking  Cesar's  hands  and  pressing  them  with  religious 
friendship. 

Roguin  was  not  without  anxiety  as  to  Claparon's 
entrance  on  the  scene ;  for  his  tone  and  manners  were 
quite  likely  to  alarm  these  virtuous  and  worthy  people  ; 
he  therefore  thought  it  advisable  to  prepare  their 
minds. 

"You  are  going  to  see,"  he  said  to  Pillerault  and 
the  two  ladies,  "  a  thorough  original,  who  hides  his 
methods  under  a  fearful!}'  bad  style  of  manners ;  from 
a  very  inferior  position  he  has  raised  himself  up  hy  in- 
telligence. He  will  acquire  better  manners  through  his 
intercourse  with  bankers.  You  may  see  him  on  the 
boulevard,  or  in  a  cafe  tippling,  disorderly,  betting  at 
billiards,  and  think  him  a  mere  idler ;  but  he  is  not ; 
he  is  thinking  and  studying  all  the  time  to  keep  industry 
alive  by  new  projects." 

"I  understand  that,"  said  Birotteau;  "I  got  my 
great  ideas  when  sauntering  on  the  boulevard ;  did  n't 
I,  Mimi?" 

"Claparon,"  resumed  Roguin,  "makes  up  by  night- 
work  the  time  lost  in  looking  about  him  in  the  day- 
time, and  watching  the  current  of  affairs.  All  men  of 
great  talent  lead  curious  lives,  inexplicable  lives  ;  well, 
in  spite  of  his  desultory  ways  he  attains  his  object,  as  I 
can  testify.  In  this  instance  he  has  managed  to  make 
the  owners  of  these  lands  give  way :  they  were  unwil- 
ling, doubtful,  timid  ;  he  fooled  them  all,  tired  them  out, 
went  to  see  them  every  day,  —  and  here  we  are,  virtually 
masters  of  the  property." 

At  this  moment  a  curious  hrov/m  I  broum !  peculiar 
to  tipplers  of  brandy  and  other  liquors,  announced  the 


160  CSsar  Birotteau. 

arrival  of  the  most  fantastic  personage  of  our  stor}', 
and  the  arbiter  in  flesh  and  blood  of  the  future  destinies 
of  Cesar  Birotteau.  The  perfumer  rushed  headlong  to 
the  little  dark  staircase,  as  much  to  tell  Raguet  to  close 
the  shop  as  to  pour  out  his  excuses  to  Claparon  for 
receiving  him  in  the  dining-room. 

"What  of  that?  It's  the  very  place  to  juggle  a  — 
I  mean  to  settle  a  piece  of  business." 

In  spite  of  Roguin's  clever  precautions,  Monsieur  and 
Madame  Ragon,  people  of  old-fashioned  middle-class 
breeding,  the  observer  Pillerault,  Cesarine,  and  her 
mother  were  disagreeably  impressed  at  first  sight  by 
this  sham  banker  of  high  finance. 

About  twent^'-eigbt  jears  of  age  at  the  time  of  which 
we  write,  the  late  commercial  traveller  possessed  not  a 
hair  on  his  head,  and  wore  a  wig  curled  in  ringlets. 
This  head-gear  needed,  by  rights,  a  virgin  freshness, 
a  lacteal  purity  of  complexion,  and  all  the  softer  cor- 
responding graces :  as  it  was,  however,  it  threw  into 
ignoble  relief  a  pimpled  face,  brownish-red  in  color,  in- 
flamed like  that  of  the  conductor  of  a  diligence,  and 
seamed  with  premature  wrinkles,  which  betra3'ed  in  the 
puckers  of  their  deep-cut  lines  a  licentious  life,  whose 
misdeeds  were  still  further  evidenced  by  the  badness 
of  the  man's  teeth,  and  the  black  speckles  which  ap- 
peared here  and  there  on  his  corrugated  skin.  Claparon 
had  the  air  of  a  provincial  comedian  who  knows  all  the 
r6les,  and  plays  the  clown  with  a  wink ;  his  cheeks, 
where  the  rouge  never  stuck,  were  jaded  by  excesses, 
his  lips  clammy,  though  his  tongue  was  forever  wag- 
ging, especially  when  drunk ;  his  glances  were  immod- 
est, and  his  gestures  compromising.   Such  a  face,  flushed 


Ciiar  Birotteau.  161 

with  the  jovial  fumes  of  punch,  was  enough  to  turn 
grave  business  matters  into  a  farce ;  so  that  the  em- 
brj'o  banker  had  been  forced  to  put  himself  through 
a  long  course  of  mimicry  before  he  managed  to  acquire 
even  the  semblance  of  a  manner  that  accorded  with  his 
fictitious  importance. 

Du  Tiilet  assisted  in  dressing  him  for  this  occasion, 
like  the  manager  of  a  theatre  who  is  uneasy  about  the 
debut  of  his  principal  actor ;  he  feared  lest  the  vulgar 
habits  of  this  devil-maj'-care  life  should  crop  up  to  the 
surface  of  the  newly-fledged  banker.  "Talk  as  little 
as  you  can,"  he  said  to  him.  "  No  banker  ever  gabbles  ; 
he  acts,  thinks,  reflects,  listens,  weighs.  To  seem  like 
a  banker  30U  must  say  nothing,  or,  at  any  rate,  mere 
nothings.  Check  that  ribald  eye  of  yours,  and  look 
serious,  even  if  you  have  to  look  stupid.  If  you  talk 
politics,  go  for  the  government,  but  keep  to  generahties. 
For  instance  :  '  The  budget  is  heavy  ; '  '  No  compro- 
mise is  possible  between  the  parties  ; '  '  The  Liberals 
are  dangerous  ; '  '  The  Bourbons  must  avoid  a  conflict ;  * 
'  Liberalism  is  the  cloak  of  a  coalition  ; '  '  The  Bour- 
bons are  inaugurating  an  era  of  prosperity  :  let  us  sus- 
tain them,  even  if  we  do  not  like  them  ; '  'France  has 
had  enough  of  politics,'  etc.  Don't  gorge  3'ourself  at 
every  table  where  you  dine  ;  recollect  you  are  to  main- 
tain the  dignity  of  a  millionaire.  Don't  shovel  in  your 
snuff  like  an  old  Invalide ;  toy  with  your  snuff-box, 
glance  often  at  your  feet,  and  sometimes  at  the  ceiling, 
before  3'ou  answer ;  try  to  look  sagacious,  if  you  can. 
Above  all,  get  rid  of  jour  vile  habit  of  touching  every- 
thing ;  in  society  a  banker  ought  to  seem  tired  of  seeing 
and  touching  things.     Hang  it !  you  are  supposed  to  be 

11 


162  Ciiar  Birotteau. 

passing  wakeful  nights ;  finance  makes  you  brusque, 
so  many  elements  must  be  brought  together  to  launch 
an  enterprise,  —  so  much  study  !  Remember  to  take 
gloomy  views  of  business ;  it  is  heavy,  dull,  risky,  un- 
settled. Now,  don't  go  be3'ond  that,  and  mind  you 
specify  nothing.  Don't  sing  those  songs  of  Beranger 
at  table ;  and  don't  get  fuddled.  If  yo\x  are  drunk, 
your  future  is  lost.  Roguin  will  keep  an  eye  on  3'ou. 
You  are  going  now  among  moral  people,  virtuous  peo- 
ple ;  and  you  are  not  to  scare  them  with  any  of  your 
pot-house  principles." 

This  lecture  produced  upon  the  mind  of  Charles 
Claparon  ver}'^  much  the  effect  that  his  new  clothes 
produced  upon  his  body.  The  jovial  scapegrace,  easy- 
going with  all  the  world,  and  long  used  to  a  comfort- 
able shabbiness,  in  which  his  body  was  no  more  shackled 
than  his  mind  was  shackled  by  language,  was  now  en- 
cased in  the  new  clothes  his  tailor  had  just  sent  home, 
rigid  as  a  picket-stake,  anxious  about  his  motions  as 
well  as  about  his  speech ;  drawing  back  his  hand  when 
it  was  imprudently  thrust  out  to  grasp  a  bottle,  just  as 
he  stopped  his  tongue  in  the  middle  of  a  sentence.  All 
this  presented  a  laughable  discrepanc}'  to  the  keen  ob- 
servation of  Pillerault.  Claparon's  red  face,  and  his 
wig  with  its  profligate  ringlets,  gave  the  lie  to  his 
apparel  and  pretended  bearing,  just  as  his  thoughts 
clashed  and  jangled  with  his  speech.  But  these  worthy 
people  ended  by  crediting  such  discordances  to  the 
preoccupation  of  his  busy  mind. 

"  He  is  so  full  of  business,"  said  Roguin. 

"  Business  has  given  him  little  education,"  whispered 
Madame  Ragon  to  Cesarine. 


CSsar  Birotteau.  163 

Monsieur  Roguin  overheard  her,  and  put  a  finger  on 
his  lips :  — 

"  He  is  rich,  clever,  and  extremely  honorable,"  he 
said,  stooping  to  Madame  Ragon's  ear. 
•  "  Something  may  be   forgiven  in   consideration   of 
such  qualities,"  said  Pillerault  to  Ragon. 

"  Let  us  read  the  deeds  before  dinner,"  said  Roguin  ; 
"  we  are  all  alone." 

Madame  Ragon,  Cesarine,  and  Constance  left  the 
contracting  parties  to  listen  to  the  deeds  read  over  to 
them  by  Alexandre  Crottat.  Cesar  signed,  in  favor  of 
one  of  Roguin's  clients,  a  mortgage  bond  for  fortj'^ 
thousand  francs,  on  his  grounds  and  manufactories 
in  the  Faubourg  du  Temple ;  he  turned  over  to  Ro- 
guin Pillerault' s  cheque  on  the  Bank  of  France,  and 
gave,  without  receipt,  bills  for  twenty  thousand  francs 
from  his  current  funds,  and  notes  for  one  hundred 
and  forty  thousand  francs  payable  to  the  order  of 
Claparon. 

"  I  have  no  receipt  to  give  you,"  said  Claparon ; 
"  you  deal,  for  j-our  half  of  the  property,  with  Mon- 
sieur Roguin,  as  I  do  for  ours.  The  sellers  will  get 
their  pay  from  him  in  cash ;  all  that  I  engage  to  do  is 
to  see  that  joxx  get  the  equivalent  of  the  hundred  and 
forty  thousand  francs  paid  to  my  order."  i 

"  That  is  equitable,"  said  Pillerault. 

"  Well,  gentlemen,  let  us  call  in  the  ladies  ;  it  is  cold 
without  them,"  said  Claparon,  glancing  at  Roguin,  as 
if  to  ask  whether  that  jest  were  too  broad. 

"Ladies!  Ah!  mademoiselle  is  doubtless  yours," 
said  Claparon,  holding  himself  very  straight  and  look- 
ing at  Birotteau  ;  "  hey  !  you  are  not  a  bungler.    None 


16-4  C6iar  Birotteau. 

of  the  roses  you  distil  can  be  compared  with  her ; 
and  perhaps  it  is  because  you  have  distilled  roses 
that—" 

"Faith!"  said  Roguin  interrupting  him,  "I  am 
very  hungry." 

"  Let  us  go  to  dinner,"  said  Birotteau. 

"  We  shall  dine  before  a  notary,"  said  Claparon, 
catching  himself  up. 

"  You  do  a  great  deal  of  business?  "  said  Pillerault, 
seating  himself  intentionally  next  to  Claparon. 

"  Quantities ;  by  the  gross,"  answered  the  banker. 
"  But  it  is  all  heavy,  dull ;  there  are  risks,  canals.  Oh, 
canals !  you  have  no  idea  how  canals  occupy  us ;  it  is 
easy  to  explain.  Government  needs  canals.  Canals 
are  a  want  especially  felt  in  the  departments ;  they  con- 
cern commerce,  you  know.  '  Rivers,'  said  Pascal,  '  are 
walking  markets.'  "We  must  have  markets.  Markets 
depend  on  embankments,  tremendous  earth-works ; 
earth-works  employ  the  laboring-classes  ;  hence  loans, 
which  find  their  way  back,  in  the  end,  to  the  pockets 
of  the  poor.  Voltaire  said,  '  Canaux,  canards,  ca- 
naille ! '  But  the  government  has  its  own  engineers ; 
3'ou  can't  get  a  finger  in  the  matter  unless  5'ou  get  on 
the  right  side  of  them ;  for  the  Chamber,  —  oh,  mon- 
sieur, the  Chamber  does  us  all  the  harm  in  the  world ! 
It  won't  take  in  the  political  question  hidden  under  the 
financial  question.  There  's  bad  faith  on  one  side  or 
the  other.  Would  you  believe  it?  there's  Keller  in 
the  Chamber :  now  Francois  Keller  is  an  orator,  he 
attacks  the  government  about  the  budget,  about  canals. 
Well,  when  he  gets  home  to  the  bank,  and  we  go  to  him 
with  proposals,  canals,  and  so  forth,  the  sly  dog  is  all 


CSsar  Birotteau.  165 

the  other  way :  everything  is  right ;  we  must  arrange 
it  with  the  government  which  he  has  just  been  impu- 
dentlj'  attacking.  The  interests  of  the  orator  and  the 
interests  of  the  banker  clash ;  we  are  between  two 
fires !  Now,  5'ou  understand  how  it  is  that  business 
is  risky;  we  have  got  to  please  everybody, — clerks, 
chambers,  antechambers,  ministers  —  " 

"Ministers?"  said  Pillerault,  determined  to  get  to 
the  bottom  of  this  co-associate. 

"Yes,  monsieur,  ministers." 

"Well,  then  the  newspapers  are  right?"  said  Pille- 
rault. 

"There's  my  uncle  talking  politics,"  said  Birotteau. 
"Monsieur  Claparon  has  won  his  heart," 

"Devilish  rogues,  the  newspapers,"  said  Claparon. 
"Monsieur,  the  newspapers  do  all  the  mischief.  They 
are  useful  sometimes,  but  they  keep  me  awake  many 
a  night.  I  wish  they  did  n't.  I  have  put  my  ejes  out 
reading  and  ciphering." 

"To  go  back  to  the  ministers,"  said  Pillerault, 
hoping  for  revelations. 

"Ministers  are  a  mere  necessity  of  government. 
Ah!  what  am  I  eating?  ambrosia?"  said  Claparon, 
breaking  off.  "  This  is  a  sauce  you  '11  never  find  except 
at  a  tradesman's  table,  for  the  pot-houses  —  "  / 

Here  the  flowers  in  Madame  Ragon's  cap  skipped 
like  young  rams.  Claparon  perceived  the  word  was 
low,  and  tried  to  catch  himself  up. 

"  In  bank  circles,"  he  said,  "  we  call  the  best  caf^s, 
—  Yevy,  and  the  Freres  Proven9aux,  —  pot-houses  in 
jest.  Well,  neither  those  infamous  pot-houses  nor  our 
most  scientific  cooks  can  make  us  a  sauce  like  this ; 


166  C^mr  Birotteau. 

mellifluous !  Some  give  you  clear  water  soured  with 
lemon,  and  the  rest  drugs,  chemicals." 

Pillerault  tried  throughout  the  dinner  to  fathom  this 
extraordinary  being ;  finding  only  a  void,  he  began  to 
think  him  dangerous. 

*' All 's  well,"  whispered  Roguin  to  Claparon. 

"  I  shall  get  out  of  these  clothes  to-night,  at  any 
rate,"  answered  Claparon,  who  was  choking. 

" Monsieur,"  said  Cesar,  addressing  him,  "we  are 
compelled  to  dine  in  this  little  room  because  we  are  pre- 
paring, eighteen  days  hence,  to  assemble  our  friends,  as 
much  to  celebrate  the  emancipation  of  our  territory  —  " 

"  Right,  monsieur ;  I  myself  am  for  the  government. 
I  belong,  in  opinion,  to  the  statu  quo  of  the  great  man 
who  guides  the  destinies  of  the  house  of  Austria,  jolly 
dog  !  Hold  fast  that  you  may  acquire ;  and,  above  all, 
acquire  that  you  may  hold.  Those  are  my  opinions, 
which  I  have  the  honor  to  share  with  Prince  Metter- 
nich." 

" —  as  to  commemorate  my  promotion  to  the  order 
of  the  Legion  of  honor,"  continued  Cesar. 

"  Yes,  I  know.  Who  told  me  of  that,  — the  Kellers, 
or  Nucingen  ?  " 

Roguin,  surprised  at  such  tact,  made  an  admiring 
gesture. 

"  No,  no  ;  it  was  in  the  Chamber." 

*'  In  the  Chamber  ?  was  it  Monsieur  de  la  Billardidre  ?  ** 
said  Birotteau. 

"  Precisely." 

"  He  is  charming,"  whispered  Cesar  to  his  uncle. 

"  He  pours  out  phrases,  {Erases,  phrases,"  said 
Pillerault,  "  enough  to  drown  you." 


CSmr  Birotteau.  167 

"  Possibly  I  showed  myself  worthy  of  this  signal, 
royal  favor,  —  "  resumed  Birotteau. 

"  By  3'our  labors  in  perfumery ;  the  Bourbons  know 
how  to  reward  all  merit.  Ah !  let  us  support  those 
generous  legitimate  princes,  to  whom  we  are  about  to 
owe  unheard-of  prosperity.  Believe  me,  the  Restora- 
tion feels  that  it  must  run  a  tilt  against  the  Empire ; 
the  Bourbons  have  conquests  to  make,  the  conquests  of 
peace.     You  will  see  their  conquests  ! " 

"  Monsieur  will  perhaps  do  us  the  honor  to  be  present 
at  our  ball  ?  "  said  Madame  C^sar. 

"To  pass  an  evening  with  you,  Madame,  I  would 
sacrifice  the  making  of  millions." 

"  He  certainly  does  chatter,"  said  C^sar  to  his  uncle. 

"While  the  declining  glory  of  perfumery  was  about  to 
send  forth  its  setting  rays,  a  star  was  rising  with  feeble 
light  upon  the  commercial  horizon.  Anselme  Popinot 
was  laying  the  corner-stone  of  his  fortune  in  the  Rue 
des  Cinq-Diamants.  This  narrow  little  street,  where 
loaded  wagons  can  scarcely  pass  each  other,  runs  from 
the  Rue  des  Lombards  at  one  end,  to  the  Rue  Aubrj'- 
le-Boucher  at  the  other,  entering  the  latter  opposite  to 
the  Rue  Quincampoix,  that  famous  thoroughfare  of  old 
Paris  where  French  history  has  so  often  been  enacted. 
In  spite  of  this  disadvantage,  the  congregation  of  drug- 
gists in  that  neighborhood  made  Popinot's  choice  of  the 
little  street  a  good  one.  The  house,  which  stands  second 
from  the  Rue  des  Lombards,  was  so  dark  that  except  at 
certain  seasons  it  was  necessary  to  use  lights  in  open 
day.  The  embryo  merchant  had  taken  possession,  the 
preceding  evening,  of  the  ding^-  and  disgusting  premises. 


168  CSsar  Birotteau. 

His  predecessor,  who  sold  molasses  and  coarse  sugars, 
had  left  the  stains  of  his  dxtty  business  upon  the  walls, 
in  the  court,  in  the  store-rooms.  Imagine  a  large  and 
spacious  shop,  with  great  iron-bound  doors,  painted  a 
dragon-green,  strengthened  with  long  iron  bars  held 
on  b}'  nails  whose  heads  looked  like  mushrooms,  and 
covered  with  an  iron  trellis-work,  which  swelled  out  at 
the  bottom  after  the  fashion  of  the  bakers'-shops  in 
former  days ;  the  floor  paved  with  large  white  stones, 
most  of  them  broken,  the  walls  yellow,  and  as  bare  as 
those  of  a  guard-room.  Next  to  the  shop  came  the 
back-shop,  and  two  other  rooms  lighted  from  the  street, 
in  which  Popinot  proposed  to  put  his  office,  his  books, 
and  his  own  workroom.  Above  these  rooms  were  three 
narrow  little  chambers  pushed  up  against  the  party- 
wall,  with  an  outlook  into  the  court ;  here  he  intended 
to  dwell.  The  three  rooms  were  dilapidated,  and  had 
no  view  but  that  of  the  court,  which  was  dark,  irregular, 
and  surrounded  by  high  walls,  to  which  perpetual  damp- 
ness, even  in  dry  weather,  gave  the  look  of  being  daubed 
with  fresh  plaster.  Between  the  stones  of  this  court  was 
a  filthy  and  stinking  black  substance,  left  by  the  sugars 
and  the  molasses  that  once  occupied  it.  Only  one  of 
the  bedrooms  had  a  chimney,  all  the  walls  were  with- 
out paper,  and  the  floors  were  tiled  with  brick. 

Since  early  morning  Gaudissart  and  Popinot,  helped 
by  a  journej'man  whose  services  the  commercial  travel- 
ler had  invoked,  were  busil}'^  employed  in  stretching  a 
fifteen-sous  paper  on  the  walls  of  these  horrible  rooms, 
the  workman  pasting  the  lengths.  A  collegian's  mat- 
tress on  a  bedstead  of  red  wood,  a  shabby  night-stand, 
an  old-fashioned  bureau,  one  table,  two  annchairs,  and 


Cemr  Birotteau.  169 

six  common  chairs,  the  gift  of  Popinot's  uncle  the 
judge,  made  up  the  furniture.  Gaudissart  had  decked 
the  chimnej-piece  with  a  frame  in  which  was  a  mirror 
much  defaced,  and  bought  at  a  bargain.  Towards  eight 
o'clock  in  the  evening  the  two  friends,  seated  before  the 
fireplace  wliere  a  fagot  of  wood  was  blazing,  were  about 
to  attack  the  remains  of  their  breakfast. 

"Down  with  the  cold  mutton!"  cried  Gaudissart, 
suddenly,  "  it  is  not  worthy  of  such  a  housewarming." 

"But,"  said  Popinot,  showing  his  solitary  coin  of 
twenty  francs,  which  he  was  keeping  to  pay  for  the 
prospectus,  "I  — " 

"I  —  "  cried  Gaudissart,  sticking  a  fortj'-franc  piece 
in  his  own  eye. 

A  knock  resounded  through  the  court,  naturally 
empt}^  and  echoing  of  a  Sunday,  when  the  workpeople 
were  away  from  it  and  the  laboratories  empty. 

"  Here  comes  the  faithful  slave  of  the  Rue  de  la 
Poterie ! "  cried  the  illustrious  Gaudissart. 

Sure  enough,  a  waiter  entered,  followed  by  two  scul- 
lions bearing  in  three  baskets  a  dinner,  and  six  bottles 
of  wine  selected  with  discernment. 

"  How  shall  we  ever  eat  it  all  up?  "  said  Popinot. 

"  The  man  of  letters  !  "  cried  Gaudissart,  "  don't  for 
get  him.  Finot  loves  the  pomps  and  the  vanities ;  he 
is  coming,  the  innocent  bo}',  armed  with  a  dishevelled 
prospectus  —  the  word  is  pat,  hein?  Prospectuses  are 
always  thirsty.  We  must  water  the  seed  if  we  want 
flowers.  Depart,  slaves !  "  he  added,  with  a  gorgeous 
air,  "there  is  gold  for  you." 

He  gave  them  ten  sous  with  a  gesture  worthy  of 
Napoleon,  his  idoL 


170  CS%ar  Birotteau. 

"Thank  yon,  Monsieur  Gaudissart,"  said  the  scul- 
lions, better  pleased  with  tiie  jest  than  with  the  money. 

"As  for  3'ou,  my  son,"  be  said  to  the  waiter,  who 
stayed  to  serve  the  dinner,  "  below  is  a  porter's  wife  ; 
she  lives  in  a  lair  where  she  sometimes  cooks,  as  in 
other  dajs  Nausicaa  washed,  for  pure  amusement. 
Find  her,  implore  her  goodness ;  interest  her,  young 
man,  in  the  warmth  of  these  dishes.  Tell  her  she  shall 
be  blessed,  and  above  all,  respected,  most  respected, 
by  Felix  Gaudissart,  son  of  Jean-Francois  Gaudissart, 
grandson  of  all  the  Gaudissarts,  vile  proletaries  of 
ancient  birth,  his  forefathers.  March !  and  mind  that 
everything  is  hot,  or  I  '11  deal  retributive  justice  by  a 
rap  on  your  knuckles." 

Another  knock  sounded. 

"Here  comes  the  pungent  Andoche ! "  shonted 
Gaudissart. 

A  stout,  chubby-faced  fellow  of  medium  height,  from 
head  to  foot  the  evident  son  of  a  hat-maker,  with 
round  features  whose  shrewdness  was  hidden  under  a 
restrained  and  subdued  manner,  suddenly  appeared. 
His  face,  which  was  melancholy,  like  that  of  a  man 
weary  of  poverty,  lighted  up  hilariously  when  he  caught 
sight  of  the  table,  and  the  bottles  swathed  in  significant 
napkins.  At  Gaudissart's  shout,  his  pale-blue  eyes 
sparkled,  his  big  head,  hollowed  like  that  of  a  Kalmuc 
Tartar,  bobbed  from  right  to  left,  and  he  bowed  to  Popi- 
not  with  a  queer  manner,  which  meant  neither  servility 
nor  respect,  but  was  rather  that  of  a  man  who  feels  he 
is  not  in  his  right  place  and  will  make  no  concessions. 
He  was  just  beginning  to  find  out  that  he  possessed  no 
literary  talent  whatever ;  he  meant  to  stay  in  the  pro- 


CS%ar  Birotteau.  171 

fession,  however,  by  living  upon  the  brains  of  others, 
and  getting  astride  the  shoulders  of  those  more  able 
than  himself,  making  his  profit  there  instead  of  strug- 
gling any  longer  at  his  own  ill-paid  work.  At  the  pres- 
ent moment  he  had  drunk  to  the  dregs  the  humiliation 
of  applications  and  appeals  which  constant!}'  failed,  and 
he  was  now,  like  people  in  the  higher  walks  of  finance, 
about  to  change  his  tone  and  become  insolent,  advisedly. 
But  he  needed  a  small  sum  in  hand  on  which  to  start, 
and  Gaudissart  gave  him  a  share  in  the  present  affair 
of  ushering  into  the  world  the  oil  of  Popinot. 

"  You  are  to  negotiate  on  his  account  with  the  news- 
papers. But  don't  pla}'  double  ;  if  you  do  I  '11  fight  you 
to  the  death.     Give  him  his  money's  worth." 

Popinot  gazed  at  "the  author"  with  much  uneasiness. 
People  who  are  purely  commercial  look  upon  an  author 
with  mingled  sentiments  of  fear,  compassion,  and  curi- 
osity. Though  Popinot  had  been  well  brought  up,  the 
habits  of  his  relations,  their  ideas,  and  the  obfuscating 
effect  of  a  shop  and  a  counting-room,  had  lowered  his 
intelligence  b}'  bending  it  to  the  use  and  wont  of  his 
calling,  —  a  phenomenon  which  may  often  be  seen  if  we 
observe  the  transformations  which  take  place  in  a  hun- 
dred comrades,  when  ten  years  supervene  between  the 
time  when  they  leave  college  or  a  public  school,  to  all 
intents  and  purposes  alike,  and  the  period  when  they 
meet  again  after  contact  with  the  world.  Andoche 
accepted  Popinot's  perturbation  as  a  compliment. 

"  Now  then,  before  dinner,  let 's  get  to  the  bottom  of 
the  prospectus ;  then  we  can  drink  without  an  after- 
thought," said  Gaudissart.  "  After  dinner  one  reads 
askew;  the  tongue  digests." 


172  CSmr  Birotteau. 

"Monsieur,"  said  Popinot,  "a  prospectus  is  often 
a  fortune." 

"And  for  plebeians  like  myself,"  said  Andoche, 
"  fortune  is  nothing  more  than  a  prospectus." 

"  Ha,  very  good  !  "  cried  Gaudissart,  "  that  rogue  of 
a  Finot  has  the  wit  of  the  forty  Academicians." 

"  Of  a  hundred  Academicians,"  said  Popinot,  bewil- 
dered by  these  ideas. 

The  impatient  Gaudissart  seized  the  manuscript  and 
began  to  read  in  a  loud  voice,  with  much  emphasis, 
"Cephalic  Oil." 

"  I  should  prefer  Oil  Cesarienne"  said  Popinot. 

"My  friend,"  said  Gaudissart,  "you  don't  know  the 
provincials  :  there 's  a  surgical  operation  called  by  that 
name,  and  they  are  such  stupids  that  they  '11  think  3-our 
oil  is  meant  to  facilitate  childbirth.  To  drag  them 
back  from  that  to  hair  is  beyond  even  my  powers  of 
persuasion." 

"Without  wishing  to  defend  my  term,"  said  the  author, 
"  I  must  ask  you  to  observe  that  '  Cephalic  Oil'  means 
oil  for  the  head,  and  sums  up  j'our  ideas  in  one  word." 

"  Well,  let  us  see,"  said  Popinot  impatiently. 

Here  follows  the  prospectus ;  the  same  which  the 
trade  receives,  bj'  the  thousand,  to  the  present  day 
(sinother  piece  Justijicative)  :  — 

GOLD  MEDAL.     EXPOSITION  OF  1819. 

CEPHALIC   OH^. 
Patents  for  Invention  and  Improvements. 

•*  No  cosmetic  can  make  the  hair  grow,  and  no  chemical 
preparation  can  dye  it  without  peril  to  the  seat  of  intelli- 
gence.   Science  has  recently  made  known  the  fact  that  hair 


C4sar  Birotteau.  173 

is  a  dead  substance,  and  that  no  agent  can  prevent  it  from 
falling  off  or  whitening.  To  prevent  Baldness  and  Dan- 
druff, it  is  necessary  to  protect  the  bulb  from  which  the  hair 
issues  from  all  deteriorating  atmospheric  influences,  and  to 
maintain  the  temperature  of  the  head  at  its  right  medium. 
Cephalic  Oil,  based  upon  principles  laid  down  by  the 
Academy  of  Sciences,  produces  this  important  result,  sought 
by  the  ancients,  —  the  Greeks,  the  Romans,  and  all  Northern 
nations,  —  to  whom  the  preservation  of  the  hair  was  peculiarly 
precious.  Certain  scientific  researches  have  demonstrated 
that  nobles,  formerly  distinguished  for  the  length  of  their 
hair,  used  no  other  remedy  than  this ;  their  method  of  pre- 
paration, which  had  been  lost  in  the  lapse  of  ages,  has  been 
intelligently  re-discovered  by  A.  Popinot,  the  inventor  of 
Cephalic  Oil. 

"  To  preserve,  rather  than  provoke  a  useless  and  injurious 
stimulation  of  the  integument  which  contains  the  bulbs,  is 
the  mission  of  Cephalic  Oil.  In  short,  this  oil,  which 
counteracts  the  exfoliation  of  pellicular  atoms,  which  ex- 
hales a  soothing  perfume,  and  arrests,  by  means  of  the  sub- 
stances of  which  it  is  composed  (among  them  more  especially 
the  oil  of  nuts),  the  action  of  the  outer  air  upon  the  scalp, 
also  prevents  influenzas,  colds  in  the  head,  and  other  painful 
cephalic  affections,  by  maintaining  the  normal  temperature 
of  the  cranium.  Consequently,  the  bulbs,  which  contain 
the  generating  fluids,  are  neither  chilled  by  cold  nor  parched 
by  heat.  The  hair  of  the  head,  that  magnificent  product, 
priceless  alike  to  man  and  woman,  will  be  preserved  even  to 
advanced  age,  in  all  the  brilliancy  and  lustre  which  bestow 
their  charm  upon  the  heads  of  infancy,  by  those  who  make 
use  of  CEPHALIC  OIL. 

♦'  Directions  for  use  are  furnished  with  each  bottle, 
and  serve  as  a  wrapper. 

"Method  of  using  Cephalic  Oil. — It  is  quite  use- 
less to  oil  the  hair;  this  is  not  only  a  vulgar  and  foolish 
prejudice,   but  an  untidy  habit,  for   the  reason    that   all 


174  CSaar  Birotteau. 

cosmetics  leave  their  trace.  It  suffices  to  wet  a  little  sponge 
in  the  oil,  and  after  parting  the  hair  with  the  comb,  to  apply 
it  at  the  roots  in  such  a  manner  that  the  whole  skin  of  the 
head  may  be  enabled  to  imbibe  it,  after  the  scalp  has  received 
a  preliminary  cleansing  with  brush  and  comb. 

"  The  oil  is  sold  in  bottles  bearing  the  signature  of  the 
inventor,  to  prevent  counterfeits.  Price,  Thkee  Francs. 
A.  POPINOT,  Rue  des  Cinq-Diamants,  quartier  des  Lom- 
bards, Paris. 

"  /<  is  requested  tlial  all  letters  he  prepaid. 

"  N.  B.  The  house  of  A.  Popinot  supplies  all  oils  and 
essences  appertaining  to  druggists  :  lavender,  oil  of  almonds, 
sweet  and  bitter,  orange  oil,  cocoa-nut  oil,  castor  oil,  and 
others." 

"  My  dear  friend,"  said  the  illustrious  Gaudissart 
to  Finot,  "it  is  admirably  written.  Thunder  and 
lightning !  we  are  in  the  upi>er  regions  of  science. 
We  shirk  nothing ;  we  go  straight  to  the  point.  That 's 
useful  literature  ;  I  congratulate  3'ou." 

"A  noble  prospectus!"  cried  Popinot,  enthusiasti- 
cally. 

"  A  prospectus  which  slays  Macassar  at  the  first 
word,"  continued  Gaudissart,  rising  with  a  magisterial 
air  to  deliver  the  following  speech,  which  he  divided  by 
gestures  and  pauses  in  his  best  parliaraentar}'  manner. 

"  No  —  hair  —  can  be  made  —  to  grow  !  Hair  can- 
not be  dyed  without  —  danger !  Ha !  ha !  success  is 
there.  Modern  science  is  in  unison  with  the  customs 
of  the  ancients.  We  can  deal  with  young  and  old 
alike.  We  can  say  to  the  old  man,  '  Ha,  monsieur ! 
the  ancients,  the  Greeks  and  Romans,  knew  a  thing 
or  two,  and  were  not  so  stupid  as  some  would  have 
us  believe ; '  and  we  can  say  to  the  young  man,  '  My 


CS^ar  Birotteau.  175 

dear  boy,  here 's  another  discovery  due  to  progress  and 
the  Hghts  of  science.  We  advance  ;  what  may  we  not 
obtain  from  steam  and  telegraphy,  and  other  things ! 
This  oil  is  based  on  the  scientific  treatise  of  Monsieur 
Vauquelin ! '  Suppose  we  print  an  extract  from  Mon- 
sieur Vauquelin's  report  to  the  Academy  of  Sciences, 
confirming  our  statement,  hein?  Famous!  Come, 
Finot,  sit  down ;  attack  the  viands !  Soak  up  the 
champagne !  let  us  drink  to  the  success  of  my  3'oung 
friend,  here  present !  " 

"I  felt,"  said  the  autlior  modestly,  "that  the  epoch 
of  flimsy  and  frivolous  prospectuses  had  gone  by ;  we 
are  entering  upon  an  era  of  science ;  we  need  an 
^academical  tone,  —  a  tone  of  authority,  which  imposes 
upon  the  public." 

"We'll  boil  that  oil;  my  feet  itch,  and  my  tongue 
too.  I've  got  commissions  from  all  the  rival  hair 
people ;  none  of  them  give  more  than  thirty  per  cent 
discount ;  we  must  manage  forty  on  ever}'  hundred  re- 
mitted, and  I  '11  answer  for  a  hundred  thousand  bottles 
in  six  months.  I'll  attack  apothecaries,  grocers,  per- 
fumers !  Give  'em  forty  per  cent,  and  they  '11  bamboozle 
the  public." 

The  three  young  fellows  devoured  their  dinner  like 
lions,  and  drank  like  lords  to  the  future  success  of 
Cephalic  Oil. 

"  The  oil  is  getting  into  my  head,"  said  Finot. 

Gaudissart  poured  out  a  series  of  jokes  and  puns 
upon  hats  and  heads,  and  hair  and  hair-oil,  etc.  In  the 
midst  of  Homeric  laughter  a  knock  resounded,  and  was 
heard,  in  spite  of  an  uproar  of  toasts  and  reciprocal 
congratulations . 


176  C6sar  Birotteau. 

*'  It  is  my  uncle  !  "  cried  Popinot.  "He  has  actually 
come  to  see  me." 

*'An  uncle!"  said  Finot,  "and  we  haven't  got  a 
glass ! " 

"  The  uncle  of  my  friend  Popinot  is  a  judge,"  said 
Gaudissart  to  Finot,  "  and  he  is  not  to  be  hoaxed  ;  he 
saved  my  life.  Ha !  when  one  gets  to  the  pass  where 
I  was,  under  the  scaffold  —  Qou-icJc^  and  good-by  to 
your  hair,"  —  imitating  the  fatal  knife  with  voice  and 
gesture.  "One  recollects  gratefully  the  virtuous  mag- 
istrate who  saved  the  gutter  where  the  champagne  flows 
down.  Recollect?  — I'd  recollect  him  dead-drunk! 
You  don't  know  what  it  is,  Finot,  unless  you  have  stood 
in  need  of  Monsieur  Popinot.  Huzza!  we  ought  to 
fire  a  salute  —  from  six  pounders,  too!" 

The  virtuous  magistrate  was  now  asking  for  his 
nephew  at  the  door.  Recognizing  his  voice,  Anselme 
went  down,  candlestick  in  hand,  to  light  him  up. 

*'I  wish  you  good  evening,  gentlemen,"  said  the 
judge. 

The  illustrious  Gaudissart  bowed  profoundly.  Finot 
examined  the  magistrate  with  a  tipsy  eye,  and  thought 
him  a  bit  of  a  blockhead. 

"You  have  not  much  luxury  here,"  said  the  judge, 
gravely,  looking  round  the  room.  "Well,  my  son, 
if  we  wish  to  be  something  great,  we  must  begin  by 
being  nothing." 

"  What  profound  wisdom  ! "  said  Gaudissart  to  Finot. 

"  Text  for  an  article,"  said  the  journalist. 

"Ah!  you  here,  monsieur?"  said  the  judge,  recog- 
nizing the  commercial  traveller;  "and  what  are  you 
doing  now?" 


GS%ar  Birotteau.  177 

"Monsieur,  I  am  contributing  to  the  best  of  my 
small  ability  to  the  success  of  your  dear  nephew.  We 
have  just  been  studying  a  prospectus  for  his  oil;  you 
see  before  you  the  author  of  that  prospectus,  which 
seems  to  us  the  finest  essay  in  the  literature  of  wigs." 
The  judge  looked  at  Finot.  "  Monsieur,"  said  Gau- 
dissart,  "is  Monsieur  Andoche  Finot,  a  j'oung  man 
distinguished  in  literature,  who  does  high-class  politics 
and  the  little  theatres  in  the  government  newspapers, 
—  I  may  say  a  statesman  on  the  high-road  to  becoming 
an  author." 

Finot  pulled  Gaudissart  by  the  coat-tails. 

"  Well,  well,  my  sons,"  said  the  judge,  to  whom 
these  words  explained  the  aspect  of  the  table,  where 
there  still  remained  the  tokens  of  a  very  excusable  feast. 
"  Anselme,"  said  the  old  gentleman  to  his  nephew, 
"  dress  yourself,  and  come  with  me  to  Monsieur  Birot- 
teau's,  where  I  have  a  visit  to  pay.  You  shall  sign 
the  deed  of  partnership,  which  I  have  carefully  exam- 
ined. As  you  mean  to  have  the  manufactory  for  your 
oil  on  the  grounds  in  the  Faubourg  du  Temple,  I  think 
you  had  better  take  a  formal  lease  of  them.  Mon- 
sieur Birotteau  might  have  others  in  partnership  with 
him,  and  it  is  better  to  settle  everything  legally  at  once  ; 
then  there  can  be  no  discussion.  These  walls  seem  to 
me  very  damp,  my  dear  boy ;  take  up  the  straw  matting 
near  j'our  bed." 

"  Permit  me,  monsieur,"  said  Gaudissart,  with  an 
ingratiating  air,  "to  explain  to  you  that  we  have  just 
pasted  up  the  paper  ourselves,  and  that 's  the  —  reason 
■why  —  the  walls  —  are  not  —  dry." 

"  Economy?  quite  right,"  said  the  judge. 
12 


1T8  CSBar  Birotteau. 

"Look  here,"  said  Gaudissart  in  Finot's  ear,  *'lny 
friend  Popinot  is  a  virtuous  young  man ;  he  is  going 
l^ith  his  uncle  ;  let's  you  and  I  go  and  finish  the  evening 
With  our  cousins." 

The  journalist  showed  the  empty  lining  of  his 
pockets.  Popinot  saw  the  gesture,  and  slipped  his 
twenty-franc  piece  into  the  palm  of  the  author  of  the 
prospectus. 

The  judge  had  a  coach  at  the  end  of  the  street,  in 
itrhich  he  carried  off  his  nephew  to  the  Birotteaus. 


CSsar  Birotteau.  179 


VIL 

PiLLERAULT,  Monsieur  and  Madame  Ragon,  and  Mon- 
sieur Roguin  were  playing  at  bo8tx)n,  and  Cesarine  was 
embroidering  a  handkerchief,  when  the  judge  and  An- 
selme  arrived.  Roguin,  placed  opposite  to  Madame 
Ragon,  near  whom  Cesarine  was  sitting,  noticed  the 
pleasure  of  the  young  girl  when  she  saw  Anselme  enter, 
and  he  made  Crottat  a  sign  to  observe  that  she  turned 
as  rosy  as  a  pomegranate. 

"  This  is  to  be  a  day  of  deeds,  then?  "  said  the  per- 
fumer, when  the  greetings  were  over  and  the  judge  told 
him  the  purpose  of  the  visit. 

Cesar,  Anselme,  and  the  judge  went  up  to  the  per- 
fumer's temporary  bedroom  on  the  second  floor  to 
discuss  the  lease  and  the  deed  of  partnership  drawn 
up  by  the  magistrate.  A  lease  of  eighteen  years  was 
agreed  upon,  so  that  it  might  run  the  same  length  of 
time  as  the  lease  of  the  shop  in  the  Rue  des  Cinq- 
Diamants,  —  an  insignificant  circumstance  apparently, 
but  one  which  did  Birotteau  good  semce  in  after  days. 
When  Cesar  and  the  judge  returned  to  the  entresol,  the 
latter,  surprised  at  the  general  upset  of  the  household, 
and  the  presence  of  workmen  on  a  Sunda}'  in  the  house 
of  a  man  so  religious  as  Birotteau,  asked  the  meaning 
of  it,  —  a  question  which  Cdsar  had  been  eagerly 
expecting. 


180  CSsar  Birotteau. 

"  Though  you  care  very  little  for  the  world,  mon- 
sieur," he  said,  "  you  will  see  no  harm  in  celebrating  the 
deliverance  of  our  territory.  That,  however,  is  not  all. 
We  are  about  to  assemble  a  few  friends  to  commemorate 
my  promotion  to  the  order  of  the  Legion  of  honor." 

"  Ah  !  "  exclaimed  the  judge,  who  was  not  decorated. 

"  Possibly  I  showed  m^'self  worthj^  of  that  signal 
and  royal  favor  by  my  services  on  the  Bench  —  oh ! 
of  commerce,  —  and  b}'  fighting  for  the  Bourbons  on 
the  steps  —  " 

"  True,"  said  the  judge. 

"  —  of  Saint-Roch  on  the  13th  Vendemiaire,  where 
I  was  wounded  by  Napoleon.  May  I  not  hope  that 
30U  and  Madame  Popinot  will  do  us  the  honor  of  being 
present  ?  " 

"  Willingl}',"  said  the  judge.  "  If  my  wife  is  well 
enough  I  will  bring  her." 

"Xandrot,"  said  Roguin  to  his  clerk,  as  they  left 
the  house,  "  give  up  all  thoughts  of  marrying  Cesarine ; 
six  weeks  hence  you  will  thank  me  for  that  advice." 

"Why?"  asked  Crottat. 

"  My  dear  fellow,  Birotteau  is  going  to  spend  a 
hundred  thousand  francs  on  his  ball,  and  he  is  involv- 
ing his  whole  fortune)  against  my  advice,  in  that  specu- 
lation in  lands.  Six  weeks  hence  he  and  his  family 
won't  have  bread  to  eat.  Marry  Mademoiselle  Lour- 
dois,  the  daughter  of  the  house-painter.  She  has  three 
hundred  thousand  francs  dot.  I  threw  out  that  anchor 
to  windward  fQr  you.  If  )'ou  will  pay  me  a  hundred 
thousand  francs  down  for  m}^  practice,  yoxL  may  have  it 
to-morrow." 

The  splendors  of  the  approaching  ball  were  announced 


CSmr  Birotteau.  181 

by  the  newspapers  to  all  Europe,  and  were  also  made 
known  to  the  world  of  commerce  by  rumors  to  which  the 
preparations,  carried  on  night  and  day,  had  given  rise. 
Some  said  that  Cesar  had  hired  three  houses,  and  that 
he  was  gilding  his  salons ;  others  that  the  supper  would 
furnish  dishes  invented  for  the  occasion.  On  one  hand 
it  was  reported  that  no  merchants  would  be  invited, 
the  fete  being  given  to  the  members  of  the  government ; 
on  the  other  hand,  C^sar  was  severely  blamed  for  his 
ambition,  and  laughed  at  for  his  political  pretensions : 
some  people  even  went  so  far  as  to  'deny  his  wound. 
The  ball  gave  rise  to  more  than  one  intrigue  in  the 
second  arrondissement.  The  friends  of  the  family  were 
easy  in  their  minds,  but  the  demands  of  mere  acquaint- 
ances were  enormous.  Honors  bring  sycophants  ;  and 
there  was  a  goodly  number  of  people  whose  invitations 
cost  them  more  than  one  application.  The  Birotteaus 
were  fairly  frightened  at  the  number  of  friends  whom 
they  did  not  know  the}'  had.  These  eager  attentions 
alarmed  Madame  Birotteau,  and  day  by  day  her  face 
grew  sadder  as  the  great  solemnity  drew  near. 

In  the  first  place,  as  she  owned  to  C^sar,  she  should 
never  learn  the  right  demeanor ;  next,  she  was  terrified 
by  the  innumerable  details  of  such  a  fete :  where  should 
she  find  the  plate,  the  glass-ware,  the  refreshments,  the 
china,  the  servants?  Who  would  superintend  it  all? 
She  entreated  Birotteau  to  stand  at  the  door  of  the  ap- 
partement  and  let  no  one  enter  but  invited  guests  ;  she 
had  heard  strange  stories  of  people  who  came  to  bour- 
geois balls,  claiming  friends  whose  names  they  did  not 
know.  When,  a  week  before  the  fateful  da}',  Braschon, 
Grindot,  Lourdois,  and  Chaffaroux,  the  builder,  assured 


182  CSsar  Birotteau. 

C^sar  positively  that  the  rooms  would  be  ready  for  the 
famous  Sunday  of  December  the  17th,  an  amusing 
conference  took  place,  in  the  evening  after  dinner,  be- 
tween Cesar,  his  wife,  and  his  daughter,  for  the  purpose 
of  making  out  the  list  of  guests  and  addressing  the  in- 
vitations,—  which  a  stationer  had  sent  home  that  morn- 
ing, printed  on  pink  paper,  in  flowing  English  writing, 
and  in  the  formula  of  commonplace  and  puerile  civility. 

"  Now  we  mustn't  forget  any  body,"  said  Birotteau. 

"  If  we  forget  any  one,"  said  Constance,  "  they  won't 
forget  it.  Madame  Derville,  who  never  called  before, 
sailed  down  upon  me  in  all  her  glory  yesterday." 

"  She  is  very  pretty,"  said  Cesarine.    "  I  liked  her." 

"  And  3"et  before  her  marriage  she  was  even  less  than 
I  was,"  said  Constance.  "  She  did  plain  sewing  in  the 
Rue  Montmartre ;  she  made  shirts  for  your  father." 

"  Well,  now  let  us  begin  the  list,"  said  Birotteau, 
*'with  the  upper-crust  people.  Cesarine,  write  down 
Monsieur  le  Due  and  Madame  la  Duchesse  de  Lenon- 
court  —  " 

"Good  heavens,  Cesar!"  said  Constance,  "don't 
send  a  single  invitation  to  people  whom  you  only  know 
as  customers.  Are  j'ou  going  to  invite  the  Princesse 
de  Blamont-Chauvry,  who  is  more  nearly  related  to 
your  godmother,  the  late  Marquise  d'Uxelles,  than  the 
Due  de  Lenoncourt?  You  surely  don't  mean  to  invite 
the  two  Messieurs  de  Vandenesse,  Monsieur  de  Marsay, 
Monsieur  de  Ronquerolles,  Monsieur  d'Aiglemont,  in 
short,  all  j^our  customers  ?  You  are  mad ;  your  honors 
have  turned  your  head !  " 

"Well,  but  there's  Monsieur  le  Comte  de  Fontaine 
and  his  family,  hein  ?  —  the  one  that  always  went  by 


CSsar  Birotteau.  183 

the  name  of  Grand- Jacques,  —  and  the  Young  Scamp, 
who  was  the  Marquis  de  Montauran,  and  Monsieur  de 
la  Billardiere,  who  was  called  the  Nantais  at  'The 
Queen  of  Roses '  before  the  13th  Vendemiaire.  In 
those  days  it  was  all  hand-shaking,  and  '  Birotteau, 
take  courage ;  let  ^'ourself  be  killed,  like  us,  for  the 
good  cause.'    Why,  we  are  all  comrades  in  conspiracy." 

"  Very  good,  put  them  down,"  said  Constance.  "  If 
Monsieur  de  la  Billardiere  comes  he  will  want  somebody 
to  speak  to." 

"  Cesarine,  write,"  said  Birotteau.  "  PWmo,  Mon- 
sieur the  prefect  of  the  Seine  ;  he  '11  come  or  he  won't 
come,  but  any  way  he  commands  the  municipalit}^,  — 
honor  to  whom  honor  is  due.  Monsieur  de  la  Billardiere 
and  his  son,  the  mayor.  Put  the  number  of  the  guests 
after  their  names.  M}'  colleague,  Monsieur  Granet, 
deput^'-mayor,  and  his  wife.  She  is  very  ugly,  but  never 
mind,  we  can't  dispense  with  her.  Monsieur  Curel,  the 
jeweller,  colonel  of  the  National  Guard,  his  wife,  and 
two  daughters.  Those  are  what  I  call  the  authorities. 
Now  come  the  big  wigs, — Monsieur  le  Comte  and 
Madame  la  Coratesse  de  Fontaine,  and  their  daughter. 
Mademoiselle  Emilie  de  Fontaine." 

"  An  insolent  girl,  who  makes  me  leave  the  shop  and 
speak  to  her  at  the  door  of  the  carriage,  no  matter  what 
the  weather  is,"  said  Madame  Cesar.  "If  she  comes, 
it  will  only  be  to  ridicule  us." 

"  Then  she  '11  be  sure  to  come,"  said  Cesar,  bent  on 
getting  everybody.  "Go  on,  Cesarine.  Monsieur  le 
Comte  and  Madame  la  Comtesse  de  Grandville,  my 
landlord,  —  the  longest  head  at  the  royal  court,  so  Der- 
ville  says.     Ah  9a !     Monsieur  de  la  Billardiere  is  to 


184  CSsar  Birotteau. 

present  me  as  a  chevalier  to-morrow  to  Monsieur  le 
Comte  de  Lacepede  himself,  high  chancellor  of  the 
Legion  of  honor.  It  is  onl}'  proper  that  I  should  send 
him  an  invitation  for  the  ball,  and  also  to  the  dinner. 
Monsieur  Vauquelin ;  put  him  down  for  ball  and  dinner 
both,  Cesarine.  And  (so  as  not  to  forget  them)  put 
down  all  the  Chiffrevilles  and  the  Protez  ;  Monsieur  and 
Madame  Popinot,  judge  of  the  Lower  Court  of  the 
Seine  ;  Monsieur  and  Madame  Thirion,  gentleman-usher 
of  the  bedchamber  to  the  king,  friends  of  Kagon,  and 
their  daughter,  who,  they  tell  me,  is  to  marry  the  son 
of  Monsieur  Camusot  by  his  first  wife." 

"  Cesar,  don't  forget  that  little  Horace  Bianchon,  the 
nephew  of  Monsieur  Popinot,  and  cousin  of  Anselme," 
said  Constance. 

"  Whew !  Cesarine  has  written  a  four  after  the 
name  of  Popinot.  Monsieur  and  Madame  Rabourdin, 
one  of  the  under-secretaries  in  Monsieur  de  la  Billar- 
diere's  division ;  Monsieur  Cochin,  same  division,  his 
wife  and  son,  sleeping-partners  of  Matifat,  and  Mon- 
sieur, Madame,  and  Mademoiselle  Matifat  themselves." 

"The  Matifats,"  said  Cesarine,  "  are  fishing  for  m- 
vitations  for  Monsieur  and  Madame  CoUeville,  and 
Monsieur  and  Madame  Thuillier,  friends  of  theirs." 

"  We  will  see  about  that,"  said  Cesar.  "  Put  down 
my  broker.  Monsieur  and  Madame  Jules  Desmarets." 

"  She  will  be  the  loveliest  woman  in  the  room,"  said 
Cesarine.    "  I  like  her  —  oh !  better  than  any  one  else." 

"  Derville  and  his  wife." 

"Put  down  Monsieur  and  Madame  Coquelin,  the 
successors  to  my  uncle  Pillerault,"  said  Constance. 
"  They  are  so  sure  of  an  invitation  that  the  poor  little 


Cesar  Birotteau.  185 

woman  has  ordered  my  dressmaker  to  make  her  a 
superb  ball-dress,  a  skirt  of  white  satin,  and  a  tulle 
robe  with  succory  flowers  embroidered  all  over  it.  A 
little  more  and  she  would  have  ordered  a  court-dress 
of  gold  brocade.  If  you  leave  them  out  we  shall  make 
bitter  enemies." 

"  Put  them  down,  Cesarine ;  all  honor  to  com- 
merce, for  we  belong  to  it!  Monsieur  and  Madame 
Roguin." 

"Mamma,  Madame  Roguin  will  wear  her  diamond 
fillet  and  all  her  other  diamonds,  and  her  dress  ti'immed 
with  Mechhn." 

" Monsieur  and  Madame  Lebas,"  said  Cesar;  "also 
Monsieur  le  president  of  the  Court  of  Commerce,  —  I 
forgot  him  among  the  authorities,  —  his  wife,  and  two 
daughters ;  Monsieur  and  Madame  Lourdois  and  their 
daughter;  Monsieur  Claparon,  banker;  Monsieur  du 
Tillet ;  Monsieur  Grindot ;  Monsieur  Molineux  ;  Piller- 
ault  and  his  landlord  ;  Monsieur  and  Madame  Camusot, 
the  rich  silk-merchants,  and  all  their  children,  the  one 

r 

at  the  Ecole  Polytechnique,  and  the  lawj-er ;  he  is  to  be 
made  a  judge  because  of  his  marriage  to  Mademoiselle 
Thirion." 

"  A  provincial  judge,"  remarked  Constance. 

"  Monsieur  Cardot,  father-in-law  of  Camusot,  and  all 
the  Cardot  children.  Bless  me,  and  the  Guillaumes, 
Rue  du  Colombier,  the  father-in-law  of  Lebas  —  old 
people,  but  they  '11  sit  in  a  corner ;  Alexandre  Crottat ; 
C^lestin— " 

"  Papa,  don't  forget  Monsieur  Andoche  Finot  and 
Monsieur  Gaudissart,  two  young  men  who  are  very 
useful  to  Monsieur  Anselme." 


186  CSiar  Birotteau. 

"  Gaudissart?  he  was  once  in  the  hands  of  justice. 
But  never  mind,  he  is  going  to  travel  for  our  oil  and 
starts  in  a  few  days  ;  put  him  down.  As  to  the  Sieur 
Andoche  Finot,  what  is  he  to  us  ?  " 

"  Monsieur  Anselme  says  he  will  be  a  great  man ;  he 
has  a  mind  like  Voltaire." 

"  An  author?  all  atheists." 

"  Let 's  put  him  down,  papa ;  we  want  more  dancers. 
Besides,  he  wrote  the  beautiful  prospectus  for  the  oil." 

"  He  believes  in  my  oil?  "  said  C^sar,  "  then  put  him 
down,  dear  child." 

"  I  have  put  down  all  my  proteges,"  said  C^sarine. 

"  Put  Monsieur  Mitral,  my  bailiff;  Monsieur  Haudry, 
our  doctor,  as  a  matter  of  form,  —  he  won't  come." 

"  Yes,  he  will,  for  his  game  of  cards." 

"Now,  Cesar,  I  do  hope  you  mean  to  invite  the 
Abb^  Loraux  to  the  dinner,"  said  Constance. 

"  I  have  already  written  to  him,"  said  Cesar. 

"Oh  !  and  don't  forget  the  sister-in-law  of  Monsieur 
Lebas,  Madame  Augustine  Sommervieux,"  said  C^sa- 
rine.  "Poor  little  woman,  she  is  so  delicate;  she  is 
dying  of  grief,  so  Monsieur  Lebas  says." 

"That's  what  it  is  to  marry  artists!"  cried  her 
father.  "Look!  there's  your  mother  asleep,"  he 
whispered.  "La!  la!  a  very  good  night  to  you, 
Madame  Cesar —  Now,  then,"  he  added,  "about 
your  mother's  ball-dress  ?  " 

"  Yes,  papa,  it  will  be  all  ready.  Mamma  thinks  she 
will  wear  her  china-crape  like  mine.  The  dressmaker 
is  sure  there  is  no  need  of  trying  it  on." 

"  How  many  people  have  you  got  down,"  said  C^ar 
aloud,  seeing  that  Constance  opened  her  eyes. 


Cesar  Birotteau.  187 

"  One  hundred  and  nine,  with  the  clerks." 
"  Where  shall  we  ever  put  them  all?"  said  Madame 
Birotteau.      "  But,   anyhow,   after  that   Sunday,"  she 
added  naively,  "  there  will  come  a  Monday." 

Nothing  can  be  done  simply  and  naturally  by  people 
who  are  stepping  from  one  social  level  to  another.  Not 
a  soul  —  not  Madame  Birotteau,  nor  Cdsar  himself — 
was  allowed  to  put  foot  into  the  new  appartement 
on  the  first  floor.  Cesar  had  promised  Raguet,  the 
shop-boy,  a  new  suit  of  clothes  for  the  day  of  the  ball, 
if  he  mounted  guard  faithfully  and  let  no  one  enter. 
Birotteau,  like  the  Emperor  Napoleon  at  Compiegne, 
when  the  chateau  was  re-decorated  for  his  marriage 
with  Maria  Louisa  of  Austria,  was  determined  to  see 
nothing  piecemeal ;  he  wished  to  enjoy  the  surprise  of 
seeing  it  as  a  whole.  Thus  the  two  antagonists  met 
once  more,  all  unknown  to  themselves,  not  on  the 
field  of  battle,  but  on  the  peaceful  ground  of  bourgeois 
vanity.  It  was  arranged  that  Monsieur  Grindot  was 
to  take  C^sar  b}'  the  hand  and  show  him  the  apparte- 
ment when  finished, — just  as  a  guide  shows  a  gallery 
to  a  sight-seer.  Every  member  of  the  famil}'  had  pro- 
vided his,  or  her,  private  "  surprise."  Cesarine,  dear 
child,  had  spent  all  her  little  hoard,  a  hundred  louis, 
on  buying  books  for  her  father.  Monsieur  Grindot 
confided  to  her  one  morning  that  there  were  two  book- 
cases in  Ct^sar's  room,  which  enclosed  an  alcove,  —  an 
architectural  surprise  to  her  father.  Cesarine  flung  all 
her  girlish  savings  upon  the  counter  of  a  bookseller's 
shop,  and  obtained  in  return,  Bossuet,  Racine,  Voltaire, 
Jean-Jacques  Rousseau,  Montesquieu,  Moliere,  Bnflbn, 


188  CSsar  Birotteau. 

F^nelon,  Delille,  Bernardin  de  Saint-Pierre,  La  Fon- 
taine, Corneille,  Pascal,  La  Harpe,  —  in  short,  the 
whole  array  of  matter-of-course  libraries  to  be  found 
everj'where,  and  which  assuredly  her  father  would 
never  read.  A  terrible  bill  for  binding  was  in  the 
background.  The  celebrated  and  dilatory  binder, 
Thouvenin,  had  promised  to  deliver  the  volumes  at 
twelve  o'clock  on  the  morning  of  the  16th.  Cesar- 
ine  confided  her  anxiety  to  her  uncle  Pillerault,  and 
he  had  promised  to  pay  the  bill.  The  "  surprise"  of 
Cesar  to  his  wife  was  the  gown  of  cherry-colored  velvet, 
trimmed  with  lace,  of  which  he  spoke  to  his  accomplice, 
Cesarine.  The  "  surprise  "  of  Madame  Birotteau  to  the 
new  chevalier  was  a  pair  of  gold  shoe-buckles,  and  a 
diamond  pin.  For  the  whole  famil}'  there  was  the  sur- 
prise of  the  new  appartement,  and,  a  fortnight  later,  the 
still  greater  surprise  of  the  bills  when  the}'  came  in. 

Cesar  carefullj'^  weighed  the  question  as  to  which  in- 
vitations should  be  given  in  person,  and  which  should 
be  sent  by  Raguet.  He  ordered  a  coach  and  took  his 
wife  —  much  disfigured  by  a  bonnet  with  feathers,  and 
his  last  gift,  a  shawl  which  she  had  coveted  for  fifteen 
3'ears  —  on  a  round  of  civilities.  In  their  best  array, 
these  worthy  people  paid  twenty-two  visits  in  the  course 
of  one  morning. 

C^sar  excused  his  wife  from  the  labor  and  diflSculty  of 
preparing  at  home  the  various  viands  demanded  by  the 
splendor  of  the  entertainment.  A  diplomatic  treaty  was 
arranged  between  the  famous  Chevet  and  the  perfumer. 
Chevet  furnished  superb  silver  plate  (which  brought 
him  an  income  equal  to  that  of  land)  ;  he  supplied  the 
dinner,  the  wines,  and  the  waiters,  under  the  orders  of 


Cesar  Birotteau.  189 

a  major-domo  of  dignified  aspect,  who  was  responsible 
for  the  proper  management  of  ever^' thing.  Chevet  ex- 
acted that  the  kitchen,  and  the  dining-room  on  the  ew- 
tresol,  should  be  given  up  to  him  as  headquarters ;  a 
dinner  for  twenty  people  was  to  be  served  at  six  o'clock, 
a  superb  supper  at  one  in  the  morning.  Birotteau 
arranged  with  the  caf^  Foy  for  ices  in  the  shape  of 
fruits,  to  be  served  in  pretty  saucers,  with  gilt  spoons, 
on  silver  traj'S.  Tanrade,  another  illustrious  purveyor, 
furnished  the  refreshments. 

"  Don't  be  worried,"  said  C^sar  to  his  wife,  observ- 
ing her  uneasiness  on  the  day  before  the  great  event, 
*'  Chevet,  Tanrade,  and  the  caf6  Foy  will  occupy  the 
entresol,  Virginie  will  take  charge  of  the  second  floor, 
the  shop  will  be  closed ;  all  we  shall  have  to  do  is  to 
enshrine  ourselves  on  the  first  floor." 

At  two  o'clock,  on  the  16th,  the  mayor.  Monsieur 
de  la  Billardiere,  came  to  take  Cesar  to  the  Chancellerie 
of  the  Legion  of  honor,  where  he  was  to  be  received  b}' 
Monsieur  le  Comte  de  Lacepede,  and  about  a  dozen 
chevaliers  of  the  order.  Tears  were  in  his  ej'es  when 
he  met  the  ma3'or ;  Constance  had  just  given  him  the 
"  surprise"  of  the  gold  buckles  and  diamond  pin. 

"It  is  very  sweet  to  be  so  loved,"  he  said,  getting 
into  the  coach  in  presence  of  the  assembled  clerks,  and 
Cesarine,  and  Constance.  The}',  one  and  all,  gazed  at 
Cesar,  attired  in  black  silk  knee-breeches,  silk  stock- 
ings, and  the  new  bottle-blue  coat,  on  which  was  about 
to  gleam  the  ribbon  that,  according  to  Molineux,  was 
dyed  in  blood.  When  Cesar  came  home  to  dinner,  he 
was  pale  with  joy ;  he  looked  at  his  cross  in  all  the 
mirrors,  for  in  the  first  moments  of  exultation  he  was 


190  CSsar  Birotteau. 

not  satisfied  with  the  ribbon,  —  he  wore  the  cross,  and 
was  glorious  without  false  shame. 

"  M3'  wife,"  he  said,  "  Monsieur  the  high  chancellor 
Is  a  charming  man.  On  a  hint  from  La  Billardiere  he 
accepted  my  invitation.  He  is  coming  with  Monsieur 
Vauquelin.  Monsieur  de  Lac^pede  is  a  great  man,  — 
yes,  as  great  as  Monsieur  Vauquelin  ;  he  has  continued 
the  work  of  Buffon  in  forty  volumes ;  he  is  an  author, 
peer  of  France !  Don't  forget  to  address  him  as, 
Your  Excellence,  or.  Monsieur  le  comte." 

"  Do  eat  something,"  said  his  wife.  "  Your  father  is 
worse  than  a  child,"  added  Constance  to  Cesarine. 

"How  well  it  looks  in  your  button-hole,"  said 
Cesarine.  "When  we  walk  out  together,  won't  they 
present  arms?" 

"Yes,  wherever  there  are  sentries  they  will  present 
arms." 

Just  at  this  moment  Grindot  was  coming  downstairs 
with  Brasehon.  It  had  been  arranged  that  after  dinner, 
monsieur,  madame,  and  mademoiselle  were  to  enjoy  a 
first  sight  of  the  new  appartement ;  Braschon's  foreman 
was  now  nailing  up  the  last  brackets,  and  three  men 
were  lighting  the  rooms. 

"  It  takes  a  hundred  and  twenty  wax-candles,"  said 
Brasehon. 

"A  bill  of  two  hundred  francs  at  Trudon's,"  said 
Madame  Cesar,  whose  inurmurs  were  checked  by  a 
glance  from  the  chevalier  Birotteau. 

"  Your  ball  will  be  magnificent,  Monsieur  le  cheva- 
lier," said  Brasehon. 

Birotteau  whispered  to  himself,  "Flatterers  already! 
The  Abb^  Loraux  urged  me  not  to  fall  into  that  net, 


Cesar  Birotteau.  191 

but  to  keep  myself  humble.  I  shall  try  to  remember 
my  origin." 

C^sar  did  not  perceive  the  meaning  of  the  rich  up- 
holsterer's speech.  Braschon  made  a  dozen  useless 
attempts  to  get  invitations  for  himself,  his  wife,  daugh- 
ter, mother-in-law,  and  aunt.  He  called  the  perfumer 
Monsieur  le  chevalier  to  the  door-way,  and  then  he 
departed  his  enemy. 

The  rehearsal  began.  C^sar,  his  wife,  and  C^sarine 
went  out  by  the  shop-door  and  re-entered  the  house  from 
the  street.  The  entrance  had  been  remodelled  in  the 
grand  style,  with  double  doors,  divided  into  square 
panels,  in  the  centre  of  which  were  architectural  orna- 
ments in  cast-iron,  painted.  This  style  of  door,  since 
become  common  in  Paiis,  was  then  a  novelty.  At  the 
further  end  of  the  vestibule  the  staircase  went  up  in 
two  straight  flights,  and  between  them  was  the  space 
which  had  given  Cesar  some  uneasiness,  and  which  was 
now  converted  ii^to  a  species  of  box,  where  it  was 
possible  to  seat  an  old  woman.  The  vestibule,  paved 
in  black  and  white  marble,  with  its  walls  painted  to  re- 
semble marble,  was  lighted  by  an  antique  lamp  with 
four  jets.  The  architect  had  combined  richness  with 
simplicity.  A  narrow  red  carpet  relieved  the  whiteness 
of  the  stairs,  which  were  polished  with  pumice-stone. 
The  first  landing  gave  an  entrance  to  the  entresol; 
the  doors  to  each  appartement  were  of  the  same  charac- 
ter as  the  street-door,  but  of  finer  work  by  a  cabinet- 
maker. 

The  family  reached  the  first  floor,  and  entered  an 
ante-chamber  in  excellent  taste,  spacious,  parquetted, 
and  simply  decorated.    Next  came  a  salon,  with  three 


192  CSsar  Birotteau. 

windows  on  the  street,  in  white  and  red,  with  cornices 
of  an  elegant  design  which  had  nothing  gaudy  about 
them.  On  a  chimney-piece  of  white  marble  supported 
by  columns  were  a  number  of  mantel  ornaments  chosen 
with  taste  ;  the}'  suggested  nothing  to  ridicule,  and  were 
in  keeping  with  the  other  details.  A  soft  harmony  pre- 
vailed throughout  the  room,  a  harmony  which  artists 
alone  know  how  to  attain  by  carrying  uniformity  of  de- 
coration into  the  minutest  particulars,  —  an  art  of  which 
the  bourgeois  mind  is  ignorant,  though  it  is  much  taken 
with  its  results.  A  glass  chandelier,  with  twenty-four 
wax-candles,  brought  out  the  color  of  the  red  silk  dra- 
peries ;  the  polished  floor  had  an  enticing  look,  which 
tempted  Cesarine  to  dance. 

"How  charming!"  she  said;  "and  yet  there  is 
nothing  to  seize  the  eye." 

"Exactly,  mademoiselle,"  said  the  architect;  "the 
charm  comes  from  the  harmony  which  reigns  between 
the  wainscots,  walls,  cornices,  and  the  decorations ;  I 
have  gilded  nothing,  the  colors  are  sober,  and  not 
extravagant  in  tone." 

"  It  is  a  science,"  said  Cesarine. 

A  boudoir  in  green  and  white  led  into  Cesar's  study. 

"  Here  I  have  put  a  bed/'  said  Grindot,  opening  the 
doors  of  an  alcove  cleverly  hidden  between  the  two 
bookcases.  "If  you  or  madame  should  chance  to  be 
ill,  each  can  have  your  own  room." 

"  But  this  bookcase  full  of  books,  all  bound!  Oh! 
my  wife,  my  wife  !  "  cried  C^sar. 

"  No ;  that  is  Cesarine's  surprise." 

"  Pardon  the  feelings  of  a  father,"  said  Cesar  to  the 
architect,  as  he  kissed  his  daughter. 


Ci%ar  Birotteau.  198 

"  Oh !  of  course,  of  course,  monsieur,"  said  Grindot ; 
"  you  are  in  your  own  home." 

Brown  was  the  prevailing  color  in  the  study,  relieved 
here  and  there  with  green,  for  a  thread  of  harmony  led 
through  all  the  rooms  and  allied  them  with  one  another. 
Thus  the  color  which  was  the  leading  tone  of  one  room 
became  the  relieving  tint  of  another.  The  engraving 
of  Hero  and  Leander  shone  on  one  of  the  panels  of 
Cesar's  study. 

"Ah!  thou  wilt  pay  for  all  this,"  said  Birotteau, 
looking  gayly  at  it. 

"That  beautiful  engraving  is  given  to  you  by  Mon- 
sieur Anselme,"  said  Cesarine. 

(Anselme,  too,  had  allowed  himself  a  "  surprise.") 

"  Poor  boy !  he  has  done  just  as  I  did  for  Monsieur 
Vauquelin." 

The  bedroom  of  Madame  Birotteau  came  next.  The 
architect  had  there  displaj'cd  a  magnificence  well  calcu- 
lated to  please  the  worthy  people  whom  he  was  anxious 
to  snare ;  he  had  really  kept  his  word  and  studied  this 
decoration.  The  room  was  hung  in  blue  silk,  with  white 
ornaments  ;  the  furniture  was  in  white  cassimere  touched 
with  blue.  On  the  chimnej'-piece,  of  white  marble, 
stood  a  clock  representing  Venus  crouching,  on  a  fine 
block  of  marble  ;  a  moquette  carpet,  of  Turkish  design, 
harmonized  this  room  with  that  of  Cesarine,  which 
opened  out  of  it,  and  was  coquettishly  hung  with  Per- 
sian chintz.  A  piano,  a  pretty  wardrobe  with  a  mirror 
door,  a  chaste  little  bed  with  simple  curtains,  and  all 
the  little  trifles  that  young  girls  like,  completed  the 
arrangements  of  the  room.  The  dining-room  was  be- 
hind the  bedroom  of  C^sar  and  his  wife,  and  was  entered 

13 


194  Ciiar  Birotteau. 

from  the  staircase ;  it  was  treated  in  the  stj-le  called 
Louis  XIV.,  with  a  clock  in  buhl,  buffets  of  the  same, 
inlaid  with  brass  and  tortoise-shell ;  the  walls  were  hung 
with  purple  stuff,  fastened  down  by  gUt  nails.  The 
happiness  of  these  three  persons  is  not  to  be  desci'ibed, 
more  especially  when,  re-entering  her  room,  Madame 
Birotteau  found  upon  her  bed  (where  Virginie  had  just 
carried  it,  on  tiptoe)  the  robe  of  cherry-colored  velvet, 
with  lace  trimmings,  which  was  her  husband's  "  surprise." 

"  Monsieur,  this  appartement  will  win  you  great  dis- 
tinction," said  Constance  to  Grindot.  "  We  shall  re- 
ceive a  hundred  and  more  persons  to-morrow  evening, 
and  3'ou  will  win  praises  from  everj^bodj'." 

"I  shall  recommend  you,"  said  Cesar.  "You  will 
meet  the  very  heads  of  commerce,  and  3'ou  will  be  bet- 
ter known  through  that  one  evening  than  if  you  had 
built  a  hundred  houses." 

Constance,  much  moved,  thought  no  longer  of  costs, 
nor  of  blaming  her  husband ;  and  for  the  following 
reason :  That  morning,  when  he  brought  the  engrav- 
ing of  Hero  and  Leander,  Anselme  Popinot,  whom 
Constance  credited  with  much  intelligence  and  prac- 
tical abilit}',  had  assured  her  of  the  inevitable  success 
of  CephaUc  Oil,  for  which  he  was  working  night  and 
day  with  a  fury  that  was  almost  unprecedented.  The 
lover  promised  that  no  matter  what  was  the  round 
sum  of  Birotteau's  extravagance,  it  should  be  covered 
in  six  months  by  Cesar's  share  in  the  profits  of  the  oil. 
After  fearing  and  trembling  for  nineteen  3'ears  it  was 
so  sweet  to  give  herself  up  to  one  day  of  unallojed  hap- 
piness, that  Constance  promised  her  daughter  not  to 
poison  her  husband's  pleasure  by  any  doubts  or  dis- 


CSsar  Birotteau.  195 

approval,  but  to  share  his  happiness  heartily.  When 
therefore,  about  eleven  o'clock,  Grindot  left  them,  she 
threw  herself  into  her  husband's  arms  and  said  to  him 
with  tears  of  joy,  "  Cesar!  ah,  I  am  beside  myself! 
You  have  made  me  very  happy  !  " 

"  Provided  it  lasts,  you  mean?"  said  Cesar,  smiling. 

"  It  will  last ;  I  have  no  more  fears,"  said  Madame 
Birotteau. 

"  That's  right,"  said  the  perfumer ;  "  you  appreciate 
me  at  last." 

People  who  are  sufficiently  large-minded  to  perceive 
their  own  innate  weakness  will  admit  that  an  orphan 
girl  who  eighteen  years  earlier  was  saleswoman  at  the 
Petit-Matelot,  lie  Saint-Louis,  and  a  poor  peasant  lad 
coming  from  Touraine  to  Paris  with  hob-nailed  shoes 
and  a  cudgel  in  his  hand,  might  well  be  flattered  and 
happy  in  giving  such  a  fete  for  such  praiseworthy 
reasons. 

"  Bless  my  heart  1 "  cried  C^sar.  "  I  'd  give  a  hun- 
dred francs  if  some  one  would  only  come  in  now  and 
pa}'  us  a  visit.'' 

"  Here  is  Monsieur  I'Abb^  Loraux,"  said  Virginie. 

The  abb^  entered.  He  was  at  that  time  vicar  of 
Saint-Sulpice.  The  power  of  the  soul  was  never  better 
manifested  than  in  this  saintly  priest,  whose  inter- 
course with  others  left  upon  the  minds  of  all  an  indel- 
ible impression.  His  grim  face,  so  plain  as  to  check 
confidence,  had  grown  sublime  through  the  exercise  of 
Catholic  virtues ;  upon  it  shone,  as  it  were  by  antici- 
pation, the  celestial  glories.  Sincerit}'  and  candor,  in- 
fused into  his  very  blood,  gave  harmony  to  his  unsightlj' 
features,  and  the  fires  of  charity  blended  the  discordant 


196  CSsar  Birotteau. 

lines  by  a  phenomenon,  the  exact  counterpart  of  that 
which  in  Claparon  had  debased  and  brutalized  the  hu- 
man being.  Faith,  Hope,  and  Charit}',  the  three  no- 
blest virtues  of  humanity,  shed  their  charm  among  the 
abbe's  wrinkles  ;  his  speech  was  gentle,  slow,  and  pene- 
trating. His  dress  was  that  of  the  priests  of  Paris,  and 
he  allowed  himself  to  wear  a  brown  frock-coat.  No 
ambition  had  ever  crept  into  that  pui'e  heart,  which  the 
angels  would  some  day  cstxvy  to  God  in  all  its  pristine 
innocence.  It  required  the  gentle  firmness  of  the  daugh- 
ter of  Louis  XVI.  to  induce  him  to  accept  a  benefice  in 
Paris,  humble  as  it  was.  As  he  now  entered  the  room 
he  glanced  with  an  uneasy  e3'e  at  the  magnificence  before 
him,  smiled  at  the  three  delighted  people,  and  shook  his 
gray  head. 

"  My  children,"  he  said,  "  my  part  in  life  is  not  to 
share  in  gayeties,  but  to  visit  the  afliicted.  I  came  to 
thank  Monsieur  Cesar  for  his  invitation,  and  to  con- 
gratulate jou.  I  shall  come  to  only  one  fete  here,  — 
the  marriage  of  this  dear  child." 

After  a  short  visit  the  abbe  went  away  without  see- 
ing the  various  apartments,  which  the  perfumer  and  his 
wife  dared  not  show  him.  This  solemn  apparition 
threw  a  few  drops  of  cold  water  into  the  boiling  delight 
of  Cesar's  heart.  Each  of  the  part}-  slept  amid  their 
new  luxury,  taking  possession  of  the  good  things  and 
the  prett}'  things  thej^  had  severally  wished  for.  Cesa- 
rine  undressed  her  mother  before  a  toilet-table  of  white 
marble  with  a  long  mirror.  Cesar  had  given  himself  a 
few  superfluities,  and  longed  to  make  use  of  them  at 
once :  and  they  all  went  to  sleep  thinking  of  the  joys 
of  the  morrow. 


Gi%ar  Birotteau,  197 

On  that  morrow  C^sarine  and  her  mother,  having  been 
to  Mass,  and  having  read  their  vespers,  dressed  about 
four  o'clock  in  the  afternoon,  after  resigning  the  entresol 
to  the  secular  arm  of  Che  vet  and  his  people.  No  attire 
ever  suited  Madame  Cesar  better  than  this  cherry- 
colored  velvet  dress  with  lace  trimmings,  and  short 
sleeves  made  with  jockeys  :  her  beautiful  arms,  still  fresh 
and  youthful,  her  bosom,  sparklingly  white,  her  throat 
and  shoulders  of  a  lovely  shape,  were  all  heightened  in 
effect  b}'  the  rich  material  and  the  resplendent  color. 
The  naive  delight  which  every  woman  feels  when  she 
sees  herself  in  the  plenitude  of  her  power  gave  an  inex- 
pressible sweetness  to  the  Grecian  profile  of  this  charm- 
ing woman,  whose  beautj'  had  all  the  delicacy  of  a 
cameo.  Cesarine,  dressed  in  white  crape,  wore  a  wreath 
of  white  roses,  a  rose  at  her  waist,  and  a  scarf  chastely 
covering  her  shoulders  and  bust:  Popinot  was  beside 
himself. 

"  These  people  crush  us,"  said  Madame  Roguin  to 
her  husband  as  they  went  through  the  appartement. 

The  notary's  wife  was  furious  at  appearing  less 
beautiful  than  Madame  Cesar;  for  every  woman 
knows  how  to  judge  the  superiority  or  the  inferiority 
of  a  rival. 

"Bah!"  whispered  Roguin  to  his  wife,  "it  won't 
last  long ;  you  will  soon  bespatter  her  when  you  meet 
her  a- foot  in  the  streets,  ruined." 

Vauquelin  showed  perfect  tact ;  he  came  with  Mon- 
sieur de  Lac<5pede,  his  colleague  of  the  Institute,  who 
had  called  to  fetch  him  in  a  carriage.  On  beholding 
the  resplendent  mistress  of  the  fete  they  both  launched 
into  scientific  compliments. 


198  CSsar  Birotteau. 

"  Ah,  madame,  you  possess  a  secret  of  which  science 
18  ignorant,"  said  the  chemist,  "  the  recipe  for  remain- 
ing young  and  beautiful." 

"  You  are,  as  I  may  say,  partly  at  home  here,  Mon- 
sieur I'academicien,"  said  Birotteau.  "  Yes,  Monsieur 
le  comte,"  he  added,  turning  to  the  high  chancellor  of  the 
Legion  of  honor,  "  I  owe  my  fortune  to  Monsieur  Vau- 
quelin.  I  have  the  honor  to  present  to  3'our  lordship 
Monsieur  le  president  of  the  Court  of  Commerce.  This 
is  Monsieur  le  Comte  de  Lacepede,  peer  of  France,"  he 
said  to  Joseph  Lebas,  who  accompanied  the  president. 

The  guests  were  punctual.  The  dinner,  lilie  all  com- 
mercial dinners,  was  extremely  gaj^,  full  of  good  humor, 
and  enlivened  by  the  rough  jests  which  always  raise  a 
laugh.  The  excellence  of  the  dishes  and  the  goodness 
of  the  wines  were  fully  appreciated.  It  was  half-past 
nine  o'clock  when  the  company  returned  to  the  salons 
to  take  their  coffee.  A  few  hackney-coaches  had  already 
brought  the  first  impatient  dancers.  An  hour  later  the 
rooms  were  full,  and  the  ball  took  the  character  of  a 
rout.  Monsieur  de  Lacepede  and  Monsieur  Vauquelin 
went  away,  to  the  great  grief  of  Cesar,  who  followed 
them  to  the  staircase,  vainly  entreating  them  to  remain. 
He  succeeded,  however,  in  keeping  Monsieur  Popinot 
the  judge,  and  Monsieur  de  la  Billardiere.  "With  the 
exception  of  three  women  who  severally  represented  the 
aristocracy,  finance,  and  government  circles,  —  namely, 
Mademoiselle  de  Fontaine,  Madame  Jules,  and  Madame 
Rabourdin,  whose  beautj"^,  dress,  and  manners  were 
sharply  defined  in  this  assemblage,  —  all  the  other  wo- 
men wore  heavy,  over-loaded  dresses,  and  ofiered  to 
the  eye  that  anomalous  air  of  richness  which  gives  to 


CSsar  Birotteau.  199 

the  bourgeois  masses  their  vulgar  aspect,  made  cruelly 
apparent  on  this  occasion  by  the  airy  grace  of  the  three 
other  women. 

The  bourgeoisie  of  the  Rue  Saint-Denis  displayed 
itself  majestically  in  the  plenitude  of  its  native  pow- 
ers of  jocose  silliness.  It  was  a  fair  specimen  of  that 
middle  class  which  dresses  its  children  like  lancers  or 
national  guards,  buj-s  the  "  Victoires  et  Conquetes,"  the 
"  Soldat-laboureur,"  admires  the  "  Convoi  du  Pauvre," 
delights  in  mounting  guard,  goes  on  Sunday  to  its  own 
country-house,  is  anxious  to  acquire  the  distinguished 
air,  and  dreams  of  municipal  honors,  —  that  middle 
class  which  is  jealous  of  all  and  of  every  one,  and  yet  is 
good,  obliging,  devoted,  feeling,  compassionate,  ready 
to  subscribe  for  the  children  of  General  F03',  or  for  the 
Greeks,  whose  piracies  it  knows  nothing  about,  or  the 
Exiles  until  none  remained ;  duped  through  its  virtues 
and  scouted  for  its  defects  by  a  social  class  that  is  not 
worthy  of  it,  for  it  has  a  heart  precisely  because  it  is 
ignorant  of  social  conventions,  —  that  virtuous  middle- 
class  which  brings  up  ingenuous  daughters  to  an  honor- 
able toil,  giving  them  sterling  qualities  which  diminish 
as  soon  as  they  are  brought  in  contact  with  the  superior 
world  of  social  life ;  girls  without  mind,  among  whom 
the  worthy  Chrysale  would  have  chosen  his  wife,  — 
in  short,  a  middle-class  admirably  represented  hy  the 
Matifats,  druggists  in  the  Rue  des  Lombards,  whose 
firm  had  supplied  "The  Queen  of  Roses"  for  more 
than  sixty  j'ears. 

Madame  Matifat,  wishing  to  give  herself  a  dignified 
air,  danced  in  a  turban  and  a  heavy  robe  of  scarlet 
shot  with  gold  threads,  —  a  toilet  which  harmonized  well 


200  CSaar  BiroUeau. 

with  a  self-important  manner,  a  Roman  nose,  and  the 
splendors  of  a  crimson  complexion.  Monsieur  Matifat, 
superb  at  a  review  of  the  National  Guard,  where  his 
protuberant  paunch  could  be  distinguished  at  fifty 
paces,  and  upon  which  glittered  a  gold  chain  and  a 
bunch  of  trinkets,  was  under  the  yoke  of  this  Catherine 
II.  of  commerce.  Short  and  fat,  harnessed  with  spec- 
tacles and  a  shirt-collar  worn  above  his  ears,  he  was 
chiefl}'  distinguished  for  his  bass  voice  and  the  rich- 
ness of  his  vocabulary.  He  never  said  Corneille,  but 
"the  sublime  Corneille;"  Racine  was  "the  gentle 
Racine;"  Voltaire,  "Oh!  Voltaire,  second  in  every- 
thing, with  more  wit  than  genius,  but  nevertheless  a 
man  of  genius ;  "  Rousseau,  "  a  gloomy  mind,  a  man 
full  of  pride,  who  hanged  himself."  He  related  in  his 
prosy  way  vulgar  anecdotes  of  Piron,  a  poet  who 
passes  for  a  prodigy  among  the  bourgeoisie.  Mati- 
fat, a  passionate  lover  of  the  stage,  had  a  slight  leaning 
to  obscenit}'.  It  was  even  said  that,  in  imitation  of 
Cadot  and  the  rich  Camusot,  he  kept  a  mistress.  Some- 
times Madame  Matifat,  seeing  him  about  to  relate  some 
questionable  anecdote,  would  hasten  to  interrupt  him 
by  screaming  out:  "Take  care  what  you  are  saying, 
old  man  !  "  She  called  him  habitually  her  "old  man." 
This  voluminous  queen  of  drugs  caused  Mademoiselle 
de  Fontaine  to  lose  her  aristocratic  countenance,  for 
the  impertinent  girl  could  not  help  laughing  as  she 
overheard  her  sajing  to  her  husband:  "Don't  fling 
3'ourself  upon  the  ices,  old  man,  it  is  bad  st^-le." 

It  is  more  difficult  to  explain  the  nature  of  the  differ- 
ence between  the  great  world  and  the  bourgeoisie  than 
it   is    for    the    bourgeoisie    to  obliterate    it.     These 


C4sar  Birotteau.  201 

women,  embarrassed  by  their  fine  clothes  and  very  con- 
scious of  them,  displayed  a  naive  pleasure  which  proved 
that  a  ball  was  a  rarity  in  their  busy  lives ;  while  the 
three  women,  who  each  represented  a  sphere  in  the 
great  world,  were  then  exactly  what  they  would  be  on 
the  morrow.  They  had  no  appearance  of  having  dressed 
purposely  for  the  ball,  they  paid  no  heed  to  the  splendor 
of  their  jewels,  nor  to  the  effect  which  the}'  themselves 
produced  ;  all  had  been  arranged  when  they  stood  before 
their  mirrors  and  put  the  last  touches  to  their  toilets. 
Their  faces  showed  no  excitement  or  excessive  interest, 
and  they  danced  with  the  grace  and  ease  which  unknown 
genius  has  given  to  certain  statues  of  antiquity. 

The  others,  on  the  contrary,  stamped  with  the  mark 
of  toil,  retained  their  vulgar  attitudes,  and  amused 
themselves  too  heartily ;  their  eyes  were  full  of  incon- 
siderate curiosity ;  their  voices  ranged  above  the  low 
murmur  which  gives  inimitable  piquancy  to  the  con- 
versations of  a  ball-room ;  above  all,  they  had  none  of 
that  composed  impertinence  which  contains  the  germs 
of  epigram,  nor  the  tranquil  attitude  which  character- 
izes those  who  are  accustomed  to  maintain  empire  over 
themselves.  Thus  Madame  Rabourdin,  Madame  Jules, 
and  Mademoiselle  de  Fontaine,  who  had  expected  much 
amusement  from  the  ball  of  their  perfumer,  were  de- 
tached from  the  background  of  the  bourgeoisie  about 
them  by  their  soft  and  easy  grace,  by  the  exquisite  taste 
of  their  dress  and  bearing,  — just  as  three  leading 
singers  at  an  opera  stand  out  in  relief  from  the  stolid 
an'ay  of  the  supernumeraries.  They  were  watched  with 
jealous,  wondering  eyes.  Madame  Roguin,  Constance, 
and  Cdsarine  formed,  as  it  were,  a  link  which  united  the 


202  Cesar  Birotteau. 

three  tj'pes  of  feminine  aristocracy  to  the  commercial 
figures  about  them. 

There  came,  as  there  does  at  all  balls,  a  moment 
when  the  animation  of  the  scene,  the  torrents  of  light, 
the  gayety ,  the  music,  the  excitement  of  dancing  brought 
on  a  species  of  intoxication  which  puts  out  of  sight  these 
gradations  in  the  crescendo  of  the  tiitti.  The  ball  was 
beginning  to  be  nois}',  and  Mademoiselle  de  Fontaine 
made  a  movement  to  retire  ;  but  when  she  looked  about 
for  the  arm  of  her  venerable  Vendeen,  Birotteau,  his 
wife,  and  daughter  made  haste  to  prevent  such  a  deser- 
tion of  the  aristocracy. 

"  Thei*e  is  a  perfume  of  good  taste  about  this  apparte- 
ment  which  really  amazes  me,"  remarked  that  imperti- 
nent young  woman  to  the  perfumer.  "I  congratulate 
you." 

Birotteau  was  so  intoxicated  by  compliments  that  he 
did  not  comprehend  her  meaning ;  but  his  wife  colored, 
and  was  at  a  loss  how  to  reply. 

"  This  is  a  national  fete  which  does  you  honor,"  said 
Camusot. 

"  I  have  seldom  seen  such  a  ball,"  said  Monsieur  de 
la  Billardiere,  to  whom  an  official  falsehood  was  of  no 
consequence. 

Birotteau  took  all  these  compliments  seriously. 

"What  an  enchanting  scene!  What  a  fine  orches- 
tra! Will  you  often  give  us  a  ball?"  said  Madame 
Lebas. 

"What  a  charming  appartement!  Is  this  your 
own  taste?"   said  Madame  Desmarets. 

Birotteau  ventured  on  a  fib,  and  allowed  her  to  sup- 
pose that  he  had  designed  it. 


CSsar  Birotteau.  203 

C^sarine,  who  was  asked,  of  course,  for  all  the 
dances,  understood  very  well  Anselme's  delicacy  in 
that  matter. 

"  If  I  thought  only  of  my  own  wishes,"  he  had  whis- 
pered as  they  left  the  dinner-table,  "  I  should  beg  you 
to  grant  me  the  favor  of  a  quadrille  ;  but  my  happiness 
would  be  too  costly  to  our  mutual  self-love." 

Cesarine,  who  thought  all  men  walked  ungracefully 
if  they  stood  straight  on  their  legs,  was  resolved  to 
open  the  ball  with  Popinot.  Popinot,  emboldened  by 
his  aunt,  who  told  him  to  dare  all,  ventured  to  tell  his 
love  to  the  charming  girl,  during  the  pauses  of  the 
quadrille,  using,  however,  the  roundabout  terms  of  a 
timid  lover. 

"My  fortune  depends  on  you,  mademoiselle." 

"And  how?" 

"  There  is  but  one  hope  that  can  enable  me  to  make 
it" 

"Then  hope." 

"Do  3'ou  know  what  you  have  said  to  me  in  those 
two  words?"  murmured  Popinot. 

"Hope  for  fortune,"  said  Cesarine,  with  an  arch 
smile. 

"Gaudissart!  Gaudissart!"  exclaimed  Anselme, 
when  the  quadrille  was  over,  pressing  the  arm  of  his 
friend  with  herculean  force.  "Succeed,  or  I'll  blow 
my  brains  out !  Success,  and  I  shall  marry  Cesarine ! 
she  has  told  me  so :  see  how  lovely  she  is  !  " 

"Yes,  she  is  prettily  tricked  out,"  said  Gaudissart, 
"  and  rich.     We  '11  fry  her  in  oil." 

The  good  understanding  between  Mademoiselle  Lour- 
dois  and  Alexandre  Crottat,  the  promised  successor  to 


204  Cesar  Birotteau. 

Rognin,  was  noticed  by  Madame  Birotteau,  who  could 
not  give  up  without  a  pang  the  hope  of  seeing  her 
daughter  tlie  wife  of  a  notary  of  Paris. 

Uncle  Pillerault,  who  had  exchanged  bows  with  little 
Molineux,  seated  himself  in  an  armchair  near  the  book- 
shelves. He  looked  at  the  card-players,  listened  to  the 
conversations,  and  went  to  the  doorway  every  now  and 
then  to  watch  the  oscillating  bouquet  of  flowers  formed 
by  the  circling  heads  of  the  dancers  in  the  moulinet. 
The  expression  of  his  face  was  that  of  a  true  philosopher- 
The  men  were  dreadful,  —  all,  that  is,  except  du  Tillet, 
who  had  acquired  the  manners  of  the  great  world,  little 
La  Billardiere,  a  budding  fashionable.  Monsieur  Desma- 
rets,  and  the  official  personages.  But  among  all  the 
faces,  more  or  less  comical,  from  which  the  assemblage 
took  its  character,  there  was  one  that  was  particularly 
washed-out,  like  a  five-franc  piece  of  the  Republic,  and 
whose  owner's  apparel  rendered  him  a  curiosity.  We 
guess  at  once  the  little  tjTant  of  the  Cour  Batave,  ar- 
ra3^ed  with  linen  yellowed  b}-  lying  by  in  a  cupboard,  and 
exhibiting  to  the  eye  a  shirt-frill  of  lace  that  had  been 
an  heirloom,  fastened  with  a  bluish  cameo  set  as  a  pin  ; 
he  wore  short  black-silk  breeches  which  revealed  the 
skinny  legs  on  which  he  boldly  stood.  Cesar  showed 
him,  triumphantly,  the  four  rooms  constructed  by  the 
architect  out  of  the  first  floors  of  the  two  houses. 

"  Hey  !  hey  !  Well,  it  is  your  affair,  Monsieur  Birot- 
teau," said  Molineux.  "My  first  floor  thus  improved 
•will  be  worth  more  than  three  thousand  francs  to  me." 

Birotteau  answered  with  a  jest ;  but  he  was  pricked 
as  if  with  a  pin  at  the  tone  in  which  the  little  old  man 
had  pronounced  the  words. 


Cesar  Birotteau.  205 

"I  shall  soon  have  my  first  floor  back  again;  the 
man  will  ruin  himself."  Such  was  the  real  meaning  of 
the  speech  which  Molineux  delivered  like  the  scratch 
of  a  claw. 

The  sallow  face  and  vindictive  eye  of  the  old  man 
struck  da  Tillet,  whose  attention  had  first  been  attracted 
by  a  watch-chain  from  which  hung  a  pound  of  jingling 
gew-gaws,  and  b}'  a  green  coat  with  a  collar  whimsi- 
cally cocked  up,  which  gave  the  old  man  the  semblance 
of  a  rattlesnake.  The  banker  approached  the  usurer 
to  find  out  how  and  why  he  had  thus  bedizened  himself. 

"There,  monsieur,"  said  Molineux,  planting  one 
foot  in  the  boudoir,  "  I  stand  on  the  property  of  Mon- 
sieur le  Comte  de  Grandville ;  but  here,"  he  added, 
showing  the  other,  "I  stand  upon  my  own.  I  am  the 
owner  of  this  house." 

Molineux  was  so  ready  to  lend  himself  to  any  one 
who  would  listen  to  him,  and  so  delighted  by  du  Tillet's 
attentive  manner,  that  he  gave  a  sketch  of  his  life,  re- 
lated his  habits  and  customs,  told  the  improper  conduct 
of  the  Sieur  Gendrin,  and,  finally,  explained  all  his  ar- 
rangements with  the  perfumer,  without  which,  he  said, 
the  ball  could  not  have  been  given. 

"  Ah  !  Monsieur  Cesar  let  you  settle  the  lease  ?"  said 
du  Tillet.     "  It  is  contrary  to  his  habits." 

"Oh!  I  asked  it  of  him.  I  am  good  to  my 
tenants." 

"If  Pere  Birotteau  fails,"  thought  du  Tillet,  "this 
little  imp  would  make  an  excellent  assignee.  His 
sharpness  is  invaluable ;  when  he  is  alone  he  must 
amuse  himself  by  catching  flies,  like  Domitian." 

Du  Tillet  went  to  the  card-table,  where  Claparon  was 


206  CSsar  Birotteau. 

already  stationed,  under  orders ;  Ferdinand  thought 
that  under  shelter  of  a  game  of  boidlloUe  his  counterfeit 
banker  might  escape  notice.  Their  demeanor  to  each 
other  was  that  of  two  strangers,  and  the  most  suspicious 
man  could  have  detected  nothing  that  betraj^ed  an  un- 
derstanding between  them.  Gaudissart,  who  knew  the 
career  of  Claparon,  dared  not  approach  him  after  receiv- 
ing a  solemnly  frigid  glance  from  the  promoted  commer- 
cial traveller  which  warned  him  that  the  upstart  banker 
was  not  to  be  recognized  by  any  former  comrade.  The 
ball,  like  a  brilliant  rocket,  was  extinguished  by  five 
o'clock  in  the  morning.  At  that  hour  onl^'  some  forty 
hackne3'-coaches  remained,  out  of  the  hundred  or  more 
which  had  crowded  the  Rue  Saint-Honor^.  Within, 
they  were  dancing  the  boulangere,  which  has  since  been 
dethroned  by  the  cotillon  and  the  English  galop.  Du 
Tillet,  Roguin,  Cardot  junior,  the  Comte  de  Grandville, 
and  Jules  Desmarets  were  playing  at  bouillotte.  Du  Til- 
let  won  three  thousand  francs.  The  da^'  began  to  dawn, 
the  wax  lights  paled,  the  players  joined  the  dancers  for 
a  last  quadrille.  In  such  houses  the  final  scenes  of  a 
ball  never  pass  oflf  without  some  impropriety.  The  dig- 
nified personages  have  departed ;  the  intoxication  of 
dancing,  the  heat  of  the  atmosphere,  the  spirits  con- 
cealed in  the  most  innocent  drinks,  have  mellowed  the 
angularities  of  the  old  women,  who  good-naturedly  join 
in  the  last  quadrille  and  lend  themselves  to  the  excite- 
ment of  the  moment ;  the  men  are  heated,  their  hair, 
lately  curled,  straggles  down  their  faces,  and  gives 
them  a  grotesque  expression  which  excites  laughter ; 
the  young  women  grow  volatile,  and  a  few  flowers  drop 
from  their  garlands.     The  bourgeois  Momus  appears, 


Ci%ar  Birotteau.  207 

followed  by  his  revellers.  Laughs  ring  loudly ;  all  pres- 
ent surrender  to  the  amusement  of  the  moment,  knowing 
that  on  the  morrow  toil  wiD  resume  its  sway.  Matifat 
danced  with  a  woman's  bonnet  on  his  head ;  C^lestin 
called  the  figures  of  the  interminable  country  dance,  and 
some  of  the  women  beat  their  hands  together  excitedly 
at  the  words  of  command. 

"  How  they  do  amuse  themselves  ! "  cried  the  happy 
Birotteau. 

"  I  hope  they  won't  break  anything,"  said  Constance 
to  her  uncle. 

"You  have  given  the  most  magnificent  ball  I  have 
ever  seen,  and  I  have  seen  manj^,"  said  du  Tillet,  bow- 
ing to  his  old  master. 

Among  the  eight  symphonies  of  Beethoven  there  is 
a  theme,  glorious  as  a  poem,  which  dominates  the  finale 
of  the  symphony  in  C  minor.  When,  after  slow  pre- 
parations by  the  sublime  magician,  so  well  understood 
by  Habeneck,  the  enthusiastic  leader  of  an  orches- 
tra raises  the  rich  veil  with  a  motion  of  his  hand  and 
calls  forth  the  transcendent  theme  towards  which  the 
powers  of  music  have  all  converged,  poets  whose  hearts 
have  throbbed  at  those  sounds  will  understand  how 
the  ball  of  C^sar  Birotteau  produced  upon  his  simple 
being  the  same  effect  that  this  fecund  harmonj'  wrought 
in  theirs,  —  an  effect  to  which  the  symphon}-  in  C  minor 
owes  its  supremac)'  over  its  glorious  sisters.  A  radiant 
fairy  springs  forward,  lifting  high  her  wand.  We  hear 
the  rustle  of  the  violet  silken  curtains  which  the  angels 
raise.  Sculptured  golden  doors,  hke  those  of  the  bap- 
tistery at  Florence,  turn  on  their  diamond  hinges.  The 
eye  is  lost  in  splendid  vistas :  it  sees  a  long  perspective 


208  Cisar  Birotteau. 

of  rare  palaces  where  beings  of  a  loftier  nature  glide. 
The  incense  of  all  prosperities  sends  up  its  smoke,  the 
altar  of  all  joy  flames,  the  perfumed  air  circulates ! 
Beings  with  divine  smiles,  robed  in  white  tunics  bor- 
dered with  blue,  flit  lightly  before  the  ej'es  and  show  us 
visions  of  supernatural  beauty,  shapes  of  an  incompar- 
able delicacy.  The  Loves  hover  in  the  air  and  waft  the 
flames  of  their  torches !  We  feel  ourselves  beloved ; 
we  are  happy  as  we  breathe  a  joy  we  understand  not, 
as  we  bathe  in  the  waves  of  a  harmony  that  flows  for 
all,  and  pours  out  to  all  the  ambrosia  that  each  desires. 
We  are  held  in  the  grasp  of  our  secret  hopes  which  are 
realized,  for  an  instant,  as  we  listen.  When  he  has  led 
us  through  the  skies,  the  great  magician,  with  a  deep 
mysterious  transition  of  the  basses,  flings  us  back  into 
the  marshes  of  cold  reality,  only  to  draw  us  forth  once 
more  when,  thirsting  for  his  divine  melodies,  our  souls 
cry  out,  "Again!  Again!"  The  psychical  history  of 
that  rare  moment  in  the  glorious  finale  of  the  C  minor 
symphony  is  also  that  of  the  emotions  excited  by  this 
fete  in  the  souls  of  C^sar  and  of  Constance.  The  flute 
of  Collinet  sounded  the  last  notes  of  their  commercial 
sjTBphon}'. 

Weary,  but  happy,  the  Birotteaus  fell  asleep  in  the 
early  morning  amid  echoes  of  the  fete, —  which  for  build- 
ing, repairs,  furnishing,  suppers,  toilets,  and  the  library 
(repaid  to  C^sarine),  cost  not  less,  though  Cdsar  was 
little  aware  of  it,  than  sixty  thousand  francs.  Such 
was  the  price  of  the  fatal  red  ribbon  fastened  by  the 
king  to  the  buttonhole  of  an  honest  perfumer.  If  mis- 
fortunes were  to  oveitake  C^sar  Birotteau,  this  mad  ex- 
travagance would  be  suflacient  to  arraign  him  before  the 


CSsar  Birotteau.  209 

criminal  courts.  A  merchant  is  amenable  to  the  laws 
if,  in  the  event  of  bankruptcy,  he  is  shown  to  have  been 
guilty  of  "  excessive  expenditure."  It  is  perhaps  more 
dreadful  to  go  before  the  lesser  courts  charged  with 
folly  or  blundering  mistakes,  than  before  the  Court  of 
Assizes  for  an  enormous  fraud.  In  the  ej'es  of  some 
people,  it  is  better  to  be  criminal  than  a  fool. 


PART  IL 

C^AR  GRAPPLING  WITH  MISFORTUNE. 
I. 

Eight  days  after  his  ball,  the  last  dying  flash  of  a 
prosperity  of  eighteen  years  now  about  to  be  extin- 
guished, Cesar  Birotteau  watched  the  passers-by  from 
the  windows  of  his  shop,  thinking  over  the  expansion 
of  his  affairs,  and  beginning  to  find  them  burdensome. 
Until  then  all  had  been  simple  in  his  life ;  he  manufac- 
tured and  sold,  or  bought  to  sell  again.  To-day  the 
land  speculation,  his  share  in  the  house  of  A.  Popinot 
and  Company,  the  repayment  of  the  hundred  and  sixty 
thousand  franbs  thrown  upon  the  market,  which  neces- 
sitated either  a  traffic  in  promissory  notes  (of  which  his 
wife  would  disapprove),  or  else  some  unheard-of  success 
in  Cephalic  Oil,  all  fretted  the  poor  man  by  the  multi- 
plicity of  ideas  which  they  involved  ;  he  felt  he  had  more 
irons  in  the  fire  than  he  could  lay  hold  of.  How  would 
Anselme  guide  the  helm?  Birotteau  treated  Popinot  as 
a  professor  of  rhetoric  treats  a  pupil,  —  he  distrusted  his 
methods,  and  regretted  that  he  was  not  at  his  elbow. 
The  kick  he  had  given  Popinot  to  make  him  hold  his 
tongue  at  Vauquelin's  explains  the  uneasiness  which 
the  young  merchant  inspired  in  his  mind. 


212  Ci%ar  Birotteau. 

Birotteau  took  good  care  that  neither  his  wife  nor  his 
daughter  nor  the  clerks  should  suspect  his  anxiety  ;  but 
he  was  in  truth  like  an  humble  boatman  on  the  Seine 
whom  the  government  has  suddenly  put  in  command 
of  a  frigate.  Troubled  thoughts  filled  his  mind,  never 
very  capable  of  reflection,  as  if  with  a  fog ;  he  stood 
still,  as  it  were,  and  peered  about  to  see  his  way.  At 
this  moment  a  figure  appeared  in  the  street  for  which 
he  felt  a  violent  antipathy' ;  it  was  that  of  his  new 
landlord,  little  Molineux.  Every  one  has  dreamed 
dreams  filled  with  the  events  of  a  lifetime,  in  which 
there  appears  and  reappears  some  wa^'ward  being, 
commissioned  to  play  the  mischief  and  be  the  villain 
of  the  piece.  To  Birotteau's  fancy  Molineux  seemed 
delegated  by  chance  to  fill  some  such  part  in  his  life. 
His  weird  face  had  grinned  diabolically'  at  the  ball,  and 
he  had  looked  at  its  magnificence  with  an  evil  eye. 
Catching  sight  of  him  again  at  this  moment,  Cesar  was 
all  the  more  reminded  of  the  impression  the  little  skin- 
flint (a  word  of  his  vocabulary)  had  m^de  upon  him, 
because  Molineux  excited  fresh  repugnance  b}'  reappear- 
ing in  the  midst  of  his  anxious  revery. 

"  Monsieur,"  said  the  little  man,  in  his  atrociously 
hypocritical  voice,  "  we  settled  our  business  so  hastily 
that  3'ou  forgot  to  guarantee  the  signatures  on  the  little 
private  deed." 

Birotteau  took  the  lease  to  repair  the  mistake.  The 
architect  came  in  at  this  moment,  and  bowed  to  the 
perfumer,  looking  about  him  with  a  diplomatic  air. 

' '  Monsieur,"  he  whispered  to  Cesar  presentl}',  * '  you 
can  easily  understand  that  the  first  steps  in  a  profession 
are  diflScult ;  you  said  you  were  satisfied  with  me,  and 


CSsar  Birotteau.  213 

it  would  oblige  me  very  much  if  you  would  pay  me  my 
commission." 

Birotteau,  who  had  stripped  himself  of  ready  money 
when  he  put  his  current  cash  into  Roguin's  hands  two 
weeks  earlier,  called  to  Celestin  to  make  out  an  order 
for  two  thousand  francs  at  ninety  days'  sight,  and  to 
write  the  form  of  a  receipt. 

"  I  am  very  glad  you  took  part  of  your  neighbor's 
rental  on  yourself,"  said  Molineux  in  a  sly,  half-sneer- 
ing tone.  "  My  porter  came  to  tell  me  just  now  that 
the  sheriff  has  affixed  the  seals  to  the  Sieur  Cayron's 
appartement ;    he   has   disappeared." 

"  I  hope  I'm  not  juggled  out  of  five  thousand  francs," 
thought  Birotteau. 

"  Cayron  always  seemed  to  do  a  good  business,"  said 
Lourdois,  who  just  then  came  in  to  bring  his  bill. 

"  A  merchant  is  never  safe  from  commercial  reverses 
until  he  has  retired  from  business,"  said  little  Molineux, 
folding  up  his  document  with  fussy  precision. 

The  architect  watched  the  queer  old  man  with  the 
enjoyment  all  artists  find  in  getting  hold  of  a  caricature 
which  confirms  their  theories  about  the  bourgeoisie. 

"  When  we  have  got  our  head  under  an  umbrella 
we  generally  think  it  is  protected  from  the  rain,"  he 
said. 

Molineux  noticed  the  mustachios  and  little  chin- tuft 
of  the  artist  much  more  than  he  did  his  face,  and  he  de- 
spised that  individual  fuUy  as  much  as  Grindot  despised 
him.  He  waited  to  give  him  a  parting  scratch  as  he 
went  out.  By  dint  of  living  so  long  with  his  cats 
Molineux  had  acquired,  in  his  manners  as  well  as  in  his 
ej-es,  something  unmistakably  feline. 


214  CSsar  Birotteau. 

Just  at  this  moment  Ragon  and  Pillerault  came  in. 

*'  "We  have  been  talking  of  the  land  affair  with  the 
judge,"  said  Ragon  in  Cesar's  ear ;  "  he  says  that  in  a 
speculation  of  that  kind  we  must  have  a  warranty  from 
the  sellers,  and  record  the  deeds,  and  pay  in  cash,  before 
we  are  really  owners  and  co-partners." 

"  Ah  !  you  are  talking  of  the  lands  about  the  Made- 
leine," said  Lourdois  ;  "  there  is  a  good  deal  said  about 
them :  there  will  be  houses  to  build." 

The  painter  who  had  come  intending  to  have  his  bill 
settled,  suddenlj'^  thought  it  more  to  his  interest  not  to 
press  Birotteau. 

"  I  brought  my  bill  because  it  was  the  end  of  the 
year,"  he  whispered  to  Cesar;  "but  there's  no 
hurry." 

"  What  is  the  matter,  Cesar?"  said  Pillerault,  notic- 
ing the  amazement  of  his  nephew,  who,  having  glanced 
at  the  bill,  made  no  reply  to  either  Ragon  or  Lourdois. 

"  Oh,  a  trifle.  I  took  notes  to  the  amount  of  five 
thousand  francs  from  my  neighbor,  a  dealer  in  um- 
brellas, and  he  has  failed.  If  he  has  given  me  bad 
securities  I  shall  be  caught,  like  a  fool." 

"And  yet  I  have  warned  you  many  times,"  cried 
Ragon  ;  "  a  drowning  man  will  catch  at  his  father's  leg 
to  save  himself,  and  drown  him  too.  I  have  seen  so 
many  failures  !  People  are  not  exactly  scoundrels  when 
the  disaster  begins,  but  they  soon  come  to  be,  out  of 
sheer  necessity." 

"That's  true,"  said  Pillerault. 

"  If  I  ever  get  into  the  Chamber  of  Deputies,  and  ever 
have  any  influence  in  the  government,"  said  Birotteau, 
rising  on  his  toes  and  dropping  back  on  his  heels,  — 


CSsar  Birotteau.  215 

"  What  would  you  do? "  said  Lourdois,  "  for  you've 
a  long  head." 

Molineux,  interested  in  any  discussion  about  law, 
lingered  in  the  shop ;  and  as  the  attention  of  a  few 
persons  is  apt  to  make  others  attentive,  Pillerault  and 
Ragon  listened  as  gravely  as  the  three  strangers,  though 
they  perfectly  well  knew  Cesar's  opinions. 

"  I  would  have,"  said  the  perfumer,  "  a  court  of  ir- 
removable judges,  with  a  magistracy  to  attend  to  the 
application  and  execution  of  the  laws.  After  the  exam- 
ination of  a  case,  during  which  the  judge  should  fulfil  the 
functions  of  agent,  assignee,  and  commissioner,  the  mer- 
chant should  be  declared  insolvent  with  rights  of  rein- 
statement, or  else  bankrupt.  If  the  former,  he  should  be 
required  to  pay  in  full ;  he  should  be  left  in  control  of 
his  own  propert}^  and  that  of  his  wife ;  all  his  belong- 
ings and  his  inherited  property  should  belong  to  his 
creditors,  and  he  should  administer  his  affairs  in  their 
interests  under  supervision ;  he  should  still  carry  on 
his  business,  signing  alwaj's  'So-and-so,  insolvent,'  un- 
til the  whole  debt  is  paid  off.  If  bankrupt,  he  should 
be  condemned,  as  formerly,  to  the  pillory  on  the  Place 
de  la  Bourse,  and  exposed  for  two  hours,  wearing  a 
green  cap.  His  property  and  that  of  his  wife,  and  all 
his  rights  of  every  kind  should  be  handed  over  to  his 
creditors,  and  he  himself  banished  from  the  kingdom." 

"  Business  would  be  more  secure,"  said  Lourdois ; 
"  people  would  think  twice  before  launching  into 
speculations." 

"  The  existing  laws  are  not  enforced,"  cried  C^sar, 
lashing  himself  up.  "Out  of  every  hundred  mer- 
chants there  are  more  than  fifty  who  never  realize 


216  CSsar  Birotteau. 

seventy-five  per  cent  of  the  whole  value  of  their  business, 
or  who  sell  their  merchandise  at  twenty-five  per  cent 
below  the  invoice  price  ;  and  that  is  the  destruction  of 
commerce." 

"  Monsieur  is  very  right,"  said  Molineux ;  "  the  law 
leaves  a  great  deal  too  much  latitude.  There  should 
either  be  total  relinquishment  of  everything,  or  infamy." 

"Damn  it!"  said  Cesar,  "at  the  rate  things  are 
going  now,  a  merchant  wiU  soon  be  a  licensed  thief. 
With  his  mere  signature  he  can  dip  into  anybody's 
money-drawer." 

"  You  have  no  mercy,  Monsieur  Birotteau,"  said 
Lourdois. 

"He  is  quite  right,"  said  old  Ragon. 

"  All  insolvents  are  suspicious  characters,"  said  Cesar, 
exasperated  by  his  little  loss,  which  sounded  in  his  ears 
like  the  first  cry  of  the  view-halloo  in  the  ears  of  the 
game. 

At  this  moment  the  late  major-domo  brought  in 
Chevet's  account,  followed  by  a  clerk  sent  by  Fehx,  a 
waiter  from  the  caf^  Foy,  and  Collinet's  clarionet,  each 
with  a  bill. 

"  Rabelais'  quarter  of  an  hour,"  said  Ragon,  smiling. 

"  It  was  a  fine  ball,"  said  Lourdois. 

"  I  am  busy,"  said  Cesar  to  the  messengers ;  who  all 
left  the  bills  and  went  away. 

"  Monsieur  Grindot,"  said  Lourdois,  observing  that 
the  architect  was  folding  up  Birotteau's  cheque,  "will 
you  certify  my  account?  You  need  only  add  it  up; 
the  prices  were  all  agreed  to  by  you  on  Monsieur 
Birotteau's  behalf." 

Pillerault  looked  at  Lourdois  and  Grindot. 


CSaar  Birotteau.  217 

•'  Prices  agreed  upon  between  the  architect  and  con- 
tractor? "  he  said  in  a  low  voice  to  his  nephew, —  "  they 
have  robbed  you." 

Grindot  left  the  shop,  and  Molineux  followed  him 
with  a  m3steriou8  air. 

"  Monsieur,"  he  said,  "  you  listened  to  me,  but  you 
did  not  understand  me,  —  I  wish  you  the  protection  of 
an  umbrella." 

The  architect  was  frightened.  The  more  illegal  a 
man's  gains  the  more  he  clings  to  them :  the  human 
heart  is  so  made.  Grindot  had  reallj^  studied  the  ap- 
partement  lovingly ;  he  had  put  all  his  art  and  all  hia 
time  into  it ;  he  had  given  ten  thousand  francs  worth  of 
labor,  and  he  felt  that  in  so  doing  he  had  been  the  dupe 
of  his  vanity  :  the  contractors  therefore  had  little  trou- 
ble in  seducing  him.  The  irresistible  argument  and 
threat,  full}-  understood,  of  injuring  him  professionally 
by  calumniating  his  work  were,  however,  less  powerful 
than  a  remark  made  by  Lourdois  about  the  lands  near 
the  Madeleine.  Birotteau  did  not  expect  to  build  a  sin- 
gle house  upon  them ;  he  was  speculating  only  in  the 
value  of  the  land ;  but  architects  and  contractors  are  to 
each  other  very  much  what  authors  and  actors  are,  — 
mutually  dependent.  Grindot,  ordered  by  Birotteau  to 
stipulate  the  costs,  went  for  the  interests  of  the  builders 
against  the  bourgeoisie ;  and  the  result  was  that  three 
large  contractors  —  Lourdois,  Chaffaroux,  and  Thorein 
the  carpenter  —  proclaimed  him  "  one  of  those  good 
fellows  it  is  a  pleasure  to  work  for."  Grindot  guessed 
that  the  contractor's  bills,  out  of  which  he  was  to  have 
a  share,  would  be  paid,  like  his  commission,  in  notes ; 
and  little  Molineux  had  just  filled  his  mind  with  doubts 


218  Cimr  Birotteau. 

as  to  their  payment.  The  architect  was  about  to  be- 
come pitiless,  —  after  the  manner  of  artists,  who  are 
most  intolerant  of  men  in  their  dealings  with  the  middle 
classes. 

By  the  end  of  December  bills  to  the  amount  of  sixty 
thousand  francs  had  been  sent  in.  Felix,  the  caf6  Foy, 
Tanrade,  and  all  the  little  creditors  who  ought  to  be 
paid  in  ready  mone3^,  had  asked  for  payment  three 
times.  Failure  to  pay  such  trifles  as  these  do  more 
harm  in  business  than  a  real  misfortune,  —  they  foretell 
it :  known  losses  are  definite,  but  a  panic  defies  all  reck- 
oning. Birotteau  saw  his  coffers  empty,  and  terror 
seized  him  :  such  a  thing  had  never  happened  throughout 
his  whole  commercial  life.  Like  all  persons  who  have 
never  struggled  long  with  poverty,  and  who  are  by 
nature  feeble,  this  circumstance,  so  common  among  the 
greater  number  of  the  pett}'^  Parisian  tradesmen,  dis- 
turbed for  a  moment  Cesar's  brain.  He  ordered  C<^lestin 
to  send  round  the  bills  of  his  customers  and  ask  for 
payment.  Before  doing  so,  the  head  clerk  made  him 
repeat  the  unheard-of  order.  The  clients,  —  a  fine  term 
applied  by  retail  shopkeepers  to  their  customers,  and 
used  by  Cesar  in  spite  of  his  wife,  who  however  ended 
by  saying,  "Call  them  what  you  like,  provided  they 
pay ! "  —  his  clients,  then,  were  rich  people,  through 
whom  he  had  never  lost  money,  who  paid  when  they 
pleased,  and  among  whom  Cesar  often  had  a  floating 
amount  of  Mty  or  sixty  thousand  francs  due  to  him. 
The  second  clerk  went  through  the  books  and  copied 
off"  the  largest  sums.  Cesar  dreaded  his  wife  :  that  she 
might  not  see  his  depression  under  this  simoom  of  mis- 
fortune, he  prepared  to  go  out. 


CSsar  Birotteau.  219 

"Good  morning,  monsieur,"  said  Grindot,  entering 
•with  the  lively  manner  artists  put  on  when  they  speak 
of  business,  and  wish  to  pretend  they  know  nothing 
about  it;  "I  cannot  get  your  paper  cashed,  and  I  am 
obliged  to  ask  you  to  give  me  the  amount  in  ready 
money.  I  am  truly  unhappy  in  making  this  request,  but 
I  don't  wish  to  go  to  the  usurers.  I  have  not  hawked 
your  signature  about ;  I  know  enough  of  business  to 
feel  sure  it  would  injure  you.  It  is  really  in  your  own 
interest  that  I  —  " 

"Monsieur,"  said  Birotteau,  horrified,  "  speak  lower 
if  you  please  ;  you  surprise  me  strangely." 

Lourdois  entered. 

"Lourdois,"  said  Birotteau,  smiling,  "would  you 
believe  —  " 

The  poor  man  stopped  short;  he  was  about  to  ask 
the  painter  to  take  the  note  given  to  Grindot,  ridi- 
culing the  architect  with  the  good  nature  of  a  merchant 
sure  of  his  own  standing;  but  he  saw  a  cloud  upon 
Lourdois'  brow,  and  he  shuddered  at  his  own  impru- 
dence. The  innocent  jest  would  have  been  the  death  of 
his  suspected  credit.  In  such  a  case  a  prosperous  mer- 
chant takes  back  his  note,  and  does  not  offer  it  elsewhere. 
Birotteau  felt  his  head  swim,  as  though  he  had  looked 
down  the  sides  of  a  precipice  into  a  measureless  ab3'ss. 

"  My  dear  Monsieur  Birotteau,"  said  Lourdois,  draw- 
ing him  to  the  back  of  the  shop,  "  m}'  account  has  been 
examined,  audited,  and  certified ;  I  must  ask  you  to 
have  the  money  ready  for  me  to-morrow.  I  marry  my 
daughter  to  little  Crottat ;  he  wants  money,  for  notaries 
will  not  take  paper ;  besides,  I  never  give  promissory 
notes." 


220  Ciiar  Birotteau. 

"  Send  to  me  on  the  day  after  to-morrow,"  said  Bi- 
rotteau proudly,  counting  on  the  payment  of  his  own 
bills.  "  And  you  too,  Monsieur,"  he  said  to  the 
architect. 

"  Why  not  pay  at  once?  "  said  Grindot 

"  I  have  my  workmen  in  the  faubourg  to  pay,"  said 
Birotteau,  who  knew  not  how  to  lie. 

He  took  his  hat  once  more  intending  to  follow  them 
out,  but  the  mason,  Thorein,  and  Chaffaroux  stopped 
him  as  he  was  closing  the  door. 

"  Monsieur,"  said  Chaffaroux,  "  we  are  in  great  need 
of  money." 

"  Well,  I  have  not  the  mines  of  Peru,"  said  Cesar, 
walking  quickly  away  from  them.  "There  is  some- 
thing beneath  all  this,"  he  said  to  himself.  "  That 
cursed  ball !  All  the  world  thinks  I  am  worth  millions. 
Yet  Lourdois  had  a  look  that  was  not  natural ;  there 's 
a  snake  in  the  grass  somewhere." 

He  walked  along  the  Rue  Saint-Honor^,  in  no  special 
direction,  and  feeling  much  discomposed.  At  the 
corner  of  a  street  he  ran  against  Alexandre  Crottat, 
just  as  a  ram,  or  a  mathematician  absorbed  in  the 
solution  of  a  problem,  might  have  knocked  against 
another  of  his  kind. 

"Ah,  monsieur,"  said  the  future  notary,  "one 
word !  Has  Roguin  given  your  four  hundred  thousand 
francs  to  Monsieur  Claparon  ?  " 

"  The  business  was  settled  in  your  presence.  Mon- 
sieur Claparon  gave  me  no  receipt;  my  acceptances 
were  to  be  —  negotiated.  Roguin  was  to  give  him  — 
my  two  hundred  and  forty  thousand  francs.  He  was 
told  that  he  was  to  pay  for  the  property  definitely. 


C6mr  Birotteau.  221 

Monsieur  Popinot  the  judge  said  —  The  receipt !  — 
but  —  why  do  you  ask  the  question  ?  " 

"  Why  ask  the  question?  To  know  if  your  two  hun- 
dred and  forty  thousand  francs  are  still  with  Roguin. 
Roguin  was  so  long  connected  with  you,  that  perhaps 
out  of  decent  feeling  he  may  have  paid  them  over  to 
Claparon,  and  j'ou  will  escape  !  But,  no  !  what  a  fool  I 
am !  He  has  carried  off  Claparon's  money  as  well ! 
Happily,  Claparon  had  only  paid  over,  to  my  care,  one 
hundred  thousand  francs.  I  gave  them  to  Roguin  just 
as  I  would  give  you  my  purse,  and  I  have  no  receipt 
for  them.  The  owners  of  the  land  have  not  received 
one  penny ;  they  have  just  been  talking  to  me.  The 
mone}-  3'ou  thought  you  raised  upon  your  property  in 
the  Faubourg  du  Temple  had  no  existence  for  you,  or 
for  the  borrower ;  Roguin  has  squandered  it,  together 
with  3'our  hundred  thousand  francs,  which  he  used  up 
long  ago,  —  and  your  last  hundred  thousand  as  well,  for 
I  just  remember  drawing  them  from  the  bank." 

The  pupils  of  Cesar's  eyes  dilated  so  enormously  that 
he  saw  only  red  flames. 

"  Your  hundred  thousand  francs  in  his  hands,  my  hun- 
dred thousand  fiancs  for  his  practice,  a  hundred  thousand 
from  Claparon,  —  there  's  three  hundred  thousand  francs 
purloined,  not  to  speak  of  other  thefts  which  will  be 
discovered,"  exclaimed  the  young  notary.  "  Madame 
Roguin  is  not  to  be  counted  on.  Du  Tillet  has  had  a 
narrow  escape.  Roguin  tormented  him  for  a  month  to 
get  him  into  that  land  speculation,  but  happily  all  his 
funds  were  tied  up  in  an  affair  with  Nucingen.  Roguin 
has  written  an  atrocious  letter  to  his  wife  ;  I  have  read 
it.    He  has  been  making  free  with  his  clients'  money  for 


222  CSaar  Birotteau. 

years  ;  and  why?  for  a  mistress,  —  la  belle  HoUandaise. 
He  left  her  two  weeks  ago.  The  squandering  hussy 
had  n't  a  farthing  left ;  they  solil  her  furniture,  —  she 
had  signed  promissory  notes.  To  escape  arrest,  she  took 
refuge  in  a  house  in  the  Palais-Roj'al,  where  she  was 
assassinated  last  night  by  a  captain  in  the  arm}'.  God 
has  quickly  punished  her;  she  has  wasted  Roguin's 
whole  fortune  and  much  more.  There  are  some  women 
to  whom  nothing  is  sacred :  think  of  squandering  the 
trust-moneys  of  a  notary !  Madame  Roguin  won't  have 
a  penny,  except  by  claiming  her  rights  of  dower ;  the 
scoundrel's  whole  property  is  encumbered  to  its  full 
value.  I  bought  the  practice  for  three  hundred  thou- 
sand francs,  —  I,  who  thought  I  was  getting  a  good 
thing  !  —  and  paid  a  hundred  thousand  down.  I  have 
no  receipt ;  the  creditors  will  think  I  am  an  accomplice 
if  I  say  a  word  about  that  hundred  thousand  francs,  and 
when  a  man  is  starting  in  life  he  must  be  careful  of  his 
reputation.  There  will  hardly  be  thirt}'  per  cent  saved 
for  the  creditors.  At  my  age,  to  get  such  a  set-back ! 
A  man  fift^'-nine  years  of  age  to  keep  a  mistress !  the 
old  villain  !  It  is  only  two  weeks  since  he  told  me  not 
to  marry  Cesarine  ;  he  said  3'ou  would  soon  be  without 
bread,  —  the  monster !  " 

Alexandre  might  have  talked  on  indefinitely,  for  Birot- 
teau stood  still,  petrified.  Ever}' phrase  was  a  calamity, 
like  the  blows  of  a  bludgeon.  He  heard  the  death-bells 
tolling  in  his  ears,  —  just  as  his  eyes  had  seen,  at  the 
first  word,  the  flames  of  his  fortune.  Alexandre  Crottat, 
who  thought  the  worthy  perfumer  a  strong  and  able 
man,  was  alarmed  at  his  paleness  and  rigidit}'.  He  was 
not  aware  that  Roguin  had  carried  off  Cesar's  whole 


CSsar  Birotteau.  223 

property.  The  thought  of  immediate  suicide  passed 
through  the  brain  of  the  victim,  deeply  religious  as  he 
was.  In  such  a  case  suicide  is  only  a  way  to  escape  a 
thousand  deaths ;  it  seems  logical  to  take  it.  Alexandre 
Crottat  gave  him  his  arm,  and  tried  to  make  him  walk 
on,  but  it  was  impossible :  his  legs  gave  way  under  him 
as  if  he  were  drunk. 

"  What  is  the  matter?"  said  Crottat.  "  Dear  Mon- 
sieur Cesar,  take  courage  !  it  is  not  the  death  of  a  man. 
Besides,  you  will  get  back  your  forty  thousand  francs. 
The  lender  had  n't  the  money  ready,  you  never  received 
it,  —  that  is  sufficient  to  set  aside  the  agreement." 

"  My  ball  —  my  cross  —  two  hundred  thousand  francs 
in  paper  on  the  market,  —  no  money  in  hand !  The 
Ragons,  Pillerault,  —  and  m}'  wife,  who  saw  true  —  " 

A  rain  of  confused  words,  revealing  a  weight  of 
crushing  thoughts  and  unutterable  suffering,  poured 
from  his  lips,  like  hail  lashing  the  flowers  in  the  garden 
of  "  The  Queen  of  Roses." 

"  I  wish  they  would  cut  off  my  head,"  he  said  at  last ; 
"  its  weight  troubles  me,  it  is  good  for  nothing." 

"  Poor  Pere  Birotteau,"  said  Alexandre,  "  are  you  in 
danger?" 

"Danger!" 

"  Well,  take  courage  ;  make  an  effort." 

"Effort!" 

"  Du  Tillet  was  your  clerk ;  he  has  a  good  head ;  he 
will  help  3'ou." 

"Du  Tillet!" 

"  Come,  try  to  walk." 

"  My  God !  I  cannot  go  home  as  I  am,"  said  Birot- 
teau.    "  You  who  are  my  friend,  if  there  are  friends,  — 


224  C4iar  Birotteau. 

you  in  whom  I  took  an  interest,  who  have  dined  at  my 
house, — take  me  somewhere  in  a  carriage,  for  my 
wife's  sake.     Xandrot,  go  with  me !  " 

The  young  notary  compassionately  put  the  inert 
mechanism  which  bore  the  name  of  Cesar  into  a  street 
coach,  not  without  great  difficulty. 

"Xandrot,"  said  the  perfumer,  in  a  voice  choked 
with  tears,  —  for  the  tears  were  now  falling  from  his 
eyes,  and  loosening  the  iron  band  which  bound  his 
brow,  —  "  stop  at  my  shop ;  go  in  and  speak  to  Celes- 
tin  for  me.  My  friend,  tell  him  it  is  a  matter  of  life  or 
death,  that  on  no  consideration  must  he  or  any  one  talk 
about  Roguin's  flight.  Tell  Cesarine  to  come  down  to 
me,  and  beg  her  not  to  say  a  word  to  her  mother.  We 
must  beware  of  our  best  friends,  of  Pillerault,  Ragon, 
everybody." 

The  change  in  Birotteau's  voice  startled  Crottat,  who 
began  to  understand  the  importance  of  the  warning ;  he 
fulfilled  the  instructions  of  the  poor  man,  whom  Celestin 
and  Cesarine  were  horrified  to  find  pale  and  half  insen- 
sible in  a  corner  of  the  carriage. 

"  Keep  the  secret,"  he  said. 

"Ah!  "  said  Xandrot  to  himself,  "he  is  coming  to. 
I  thought  him  lost." 

From  thence  they  went,  at  Cesar's  request,  to  a  judge 
of  the  commercial  courts.  The  conference  between 
Crottat  and  the  magistrate  lasted  long,  and  the  presi- 
dent of  the  chamber  of  notaries  was  summoned.  Cesar 
was  carried  about  from  place  to  place,  like  a  bale  of 
goods ;  he  never  moved,  and  said  nothing.  Towards 
seven  in  the  evening  Alexandre  Crottat  took  him  home. 
The  thought  of  appearing  before  Constance  braced  his 


CSsar  Birotteau.  225 

nerves.  The  young  notary  had  the  charity  to  go  before, 
and  warn  Madame  Birotteau  that  her  husband  had  had 
a  rush  of  blood  to  the  head. 

"  His  ideas  are  rather  cloudy,"  he  said,  with  a  ges- 
ture implying  disturbance  of  the  brain.  "Perhaps  he 
should  be  bled,  or  leeches  applied." 

"No  wonder,"  said  Constance,  far  from  dreaming  of 
a  disaster ;  "  he  did  not  take  his  precautionary  medicine 
at  the  beginning  of  the  winter,  and  for  the  last  two 
months  he  has  been  working  like  a  galley  slave,  — just 
as  if  his  fortune  were  not  made." 

The  wife  and  daughter  entreated  Cesar  to  go  to  bed, 
and  they  sent  for  his  old  friend  Monsieur  Haudry.  The 
old  man  was  a  physician  of  the  school  of  Moliere,  a 
great  practitioner  and  in  favor  of  the  old-fashioned  for- 
mulas, who  dosed  his  patients  neither  more  nor  less 
than  a  quack,  consulting  physician  though  he  was.  He 
came,  studied  the  expression  of  Cesar's  face,  and  ob- 
serving symptoms  of  cerebral  congestion,  ordered  an 
immediate  application  of  mustard  plasters  to  the  soles 
of  his  feet. 

"  What  can  have  caused  it?"  said  Constance. 

"  The  damp  weather,"  said  the  doctor,  to  whom  Ce- 
sarine  had  given  a  hint. 

It  often  becomes  a  physician's  duty  to  utter  deliber- 
ately some  silly  falsehood,  to  save  honor  or  life,  to 
those  who  are  about  a  sick-bed.  The  old  doctor  had 
seen  much  in  his  day,  and  he  caught  the  meaning  of 
half  a  word.  C^sarine  followed  him  to  the  staircase, 
and  asked  for  directions  in  managing  the  case. 

"  Quiet  and  silence  ;  when  the  head  is  clear  we  will 
try  tonics." 

16 


226  CSsar  Birotteau. 

Madame  Cesar  passed  two  days  at  the  bedside  of  her 
husband,  who  seemed  to  her  at  times  delirious.  He 
lay  in  her  beautiful  blue  Toom,  and  as  he  looked  at  the 
curtains,  the  furniture,  and  all  the  costl}'  magnificence 
about  him,  he  said  things  tiiat  were  wholly  incompre- 
hensible to  her. 

"  He  must  be  out  of  his  mind,"  she  whispered  to 
Cesarine,  as  C^sar  rose  up  in  bed  and  recited  clauses  of 
the  commercial  Code  in  a  solemn  voice. 

"  'If  the  expenditure  is  judged  excessive!'  Away 
with  those  curtains  !  " 

At  the  end  of  three  terrible  days,  during  which  his 
reason  was  in  danger,  the  strong  constitution  of  the 
Tourangean  peasant  triumphed ;  his  head  grew  clear. 
Monsieur  Haudry  ordered  stimulants  and  generous 
diet,  and  before  long,  after  an  occasional  cup  of  coffee, 
Cesar  was  on  his  feet  again.  Constance,  wearied  out, 
took  her  husband's  place  in  bed. 

"  Poor  woman ! "  said  Cesar,  looking  at  her  as  she 
slept 

"Come,  papa,  take  courage!  5'ou  are  so  superior  a 
man  that  you  will  triumph  in  the  end.  This  trouble 
won't  last ;  Monsieur  Anselme  will  help  you." 

Cesarine  said  these  vague  words  in  the  tender  tones 
which  give  courage  to  a  stricken  heart,  just  as  the 
songs  of  a  mother  soothe  the  weary  child  tormented 
with  pain  as  it  cuts  its  teeth. 

"Yes,  my  child,  I  shall  struggle  on;  but  say  not 
a  word  to  any  one,  —  not  to  Popinot  who  loves  us, 
nor  to  your  uncle  Pillerault.  I  shall  first  write  to  my 
brother ;  he  is  canon  and  vicar  of  the  cathedral.  He 
spends  nothing,  and  I  have  no  doubt  he  has  means.    If 


CSsar  Birotteau.  227 

he  saves  only  three  thousand  francs  a  year,  that  would 
give  him  at  the  end  of  twentj-  years  one  hundred 
thousand  francs.  In  the  provinces  the  priests  lay  up 
money." 

Cesarine  hastened  to  bring  her  father  a  little  table 
with  writing- things  upon  it,  —  among  them  the  surplus 
of  the  invitations  printed  on  pink  paper. 

"Burn  all  that!"  cried  her  father.  "The  devil 
alone  could  have  prompted  me  to  give  that  ball.  If 
I  fail,  I  shall  seem  to  have  been  a  swindler.  Stop !  " 
he  added,  "  words  are  of  no  avail."  And  he  wrote  the 
following  letter :  — 

My  dear  Brother,  —  I  find  myself  in  so  severe  a  com- 
mercial crisis  that  I  must  ask  you  to  send  me  all  the  money 
you  can  dispose  of,  even  if  you  have  to  borrow  some  for  the 

Yolu:  niece,  Cesarine,  who  is  watching  me  as  I  write, 
while  my  poor  wife  sleeps,  sends  you  her  tender  remem- 
brances. 

This  postscript  was  added  at  Cesarine's  urgent  re- 
quest ;  she  then  took  the  letter  and  gave  it  to  Raguet. 

"  Father,"  she  said,  returning,  "  here  is  Monsieur 
Lebas,  who  wants  to  speak  to  you. 

"  Monsieur  Lebas ! "  cried  C^sar,  ^Tightened,  as 
though  his  disaster  had  made  him  a  criminal,' — "a 
judge ! " 

"My  dear  Monsieur  Birotteau,  I  take  too  great  an 
interest  in  you,"  said  the  stout  draper,  entering  the 
room,  ' '  we  have  known  each  other  too  long,  —  for  we 
were  both  elected  judges  at  the  same  time,  —  not  to 
tell  you  that  a  man  named  Bidault,  called  Gigonnet,  a 


228  CSmr  Birotteau. 

usurer,  has  notes  of  yours  turned  over  to  his  order,  and 
marked  '  not  guaranteed,'  by  the  house  of  Claparon. 
Those  words  are  not  only  an  affront,  but  they  are  the 
death  of  your  credit." 

"Monsieur  Claparon  wishes  to  speak  to  you,"  said 
Celestin,  entering ;  "may  I  tell  him  to  come  up?" 

' '  Now  we  shall  learn  the  meaning  of  this  insult," 
said  Lebas. 

"  Monsieur,"  said  Cesar  to  Claparon,  as  he  entered, 
"this  is  Monsieur  Lebas,  a  judge  of  the  commercial 
courts,  and  my  friend — " 

"Ah!  monsieur  is  Monsieur  Lebas?"  interrupted 
Claparon.  "  Delighted  with  the  opportunity.  Monsieur 
Lebas  of  the  commercial  courts ;  there  are  so  many  Le- 
bas, you  know,  of  one  kind  or  another  —  " 

"  He  has  seen,"  said  Birotteau,  cutting  the  gabbler 
short,  "  the  notes  which  I  gave  jou,  and  which  I 
understood  from  you  would  not  be  put  into  circu- 
lation. He  has  seen  them  bearing  the  words  '  not 
guaranteed,' " 

"  Well,"  said  Claparon,  "  they  are  not  in  general  cir- 
culation ;  they  are  in  the  hands  of  a  man  with  whom  I 
do  a  great  deal  of  business, — Pere  Bidault.  That  is 
why  I  affixed  the  words  '  not  guaranteed.'  If  the  notes 
were  intended  for  circulation  you  would  have  made  them 
payable  to  his  order.  Monsieur  Lebas  will  understand 
my  position.  "What  do  these  notes  represent?  The 
price  of  landed  property.  Paid  by  whom  ?  By  Birot- 
teau. Wh}'  should  I  guarantee  Birotteau  bj'  my  signa- 
ture? "We  are  to  pay,  each  on  his  own  account,  our 
half  of  the  price  of  the  said  land.  Now,  it  is  enough 
to  be  jointly  and  separately  liable  to  the  sellers.     I  hold 


CSsar  Birotteau.  229 

inflexibly  to  one  commercial  rule :  I  never  give  my 
guarantee  uselessly,  any  more  than  1  give  my  receipt 
for  moneys  not  yet  paid.  He  who  signs,  pays.  I  don't 
wish  to  be  liable  to  pay  three  times." 

"  Three  times !  "  said  Cesar. 

"Yes,  monsieur,"  said  Claparon,  "I  have  already 
guaranteed  Birotteau  to  the  sellers,  why  should  I 
guarantee  him  again  to  the  bankers?  The  circum- 
stances in  which  we  are  placed  are  very  hard.  Roguin 
has  carried  off  a  hundred  thousand  francs  of  mine ; 
therefore,  my  half  of  the  property  costs  me  five  hun- 
dred thousand  francs  instead  of  four  hundred  thousand. 
Roguin  has  also  carried  off  two  hundred  and  fort^'  thou- 
sand francs  of  Birotteau's.  What  would  you  do  in  my 
place,  Monsieur  Lebas  ?  Stand  in  my  skin  for  a  mo- 
ment and  view  the  case.  Give  me  your  attention.  Say 
that  we  are  engaged  In  a  transaction  on  equal  shares : 
you  provide  the  money  for  j'our  share,  I  give  bills  for 
mine ;  I  offer  them  to  j'ou,  and  you  undertake,  purely 
out  of  kindness,  to  convert  them  into  money.  You 
learn  that  I,  Claparon,  —  banker,  rich,  respected  (I 
accept  all  the  virtues  under  the  sun) ,  —  that  the  virtu- 
ous Claparon  is  on  the  verge  of  failure,  with  six  million 
of  liabilities  to  meet :  would  you,  at  such  a  moment, 
give  your  signature  to  guarantee  mine?  Of  course 
not;  you  would  be  mad  to  do  it.  Well,  Monsieur 
Lebas,  Birotteau  is  in  the  position  which  I  have  sup- 
posed for  Claparon.  Don't  you  see  that  if  I  indorse 
for  him  I  am  liable  not  only  for  my  own  share  of  the 
purchase,  but  I  shall  also  be  compelled  to  reimburse  to 
the  full  amount  of  Birotteau's  paper,  and  without  —  " 

"  To  whom  ?  "  asked  Birotteau,  interrupting  him. 


230  CSsar  Birotteau. 

"  —  without  gaining  his  half  of  the  property?"  said 
Claparon,  paying  no  attention  to  the  interruption.  "  For 
I  should  have  no  rights  in  it ;  I  should  have  to  buy  it 
over  again  ;  consequently,  I  repeat,  I  should  have  to  pay 
for  it  three  times." 

"Reimburse  whom?"  persisted  Birotteau. 

*'  Why,  the  holder  of  the  notes,  if  I  were  to  indorse, 
and  3^ou  were  to  fail." 

"  I  shall  not  fail,  monsieur,"  said  Birotteau. 

"Very  good,"  said  Claparon.  "But  you  have  been 
a  judge,  and  you  are  a  clever  merchant ;  you  know  very 
well  that  we  should  look  ahead  and  foresee  everything ; 
you  can't  be  surprised  that  I  should  attend  to  my  busi- 
ness properlj'." 

"  Monsieur  Claparon  is  right,"  said  Joseph  Lebas. 

"  I  am  right,"  said  Claparon,  —  "  right  commercially. 
But  this  is  an  affair  of  landed  property.  Now,  what 
must  I  have?  Money,  to  paj'  the  sellers.  We  won't 
speak  now  of  the  two  hundred  and  forty  thousand 
francs,  —  which  I  am  sure  Monsieur  Birotteau  will 
be  able  to  raise  soon,"  said  Claparon,  looking  at  Lebas. 
"  I  have  come  now  to  ask  for  a  trifle,  merely  twenty- 
five  thousand  francs,"  he  added,  turning  to  Birotteau. 

"Twenty-five  thousand  francs!"  cried  Cesar,  feel- 
ing ice  in  his  veins  instead  of  blood.  "  What  claim 
have  you,  monsieur?" 

"What  claim?  Hey!  we  have  to  make  a  payment 
and  execute  the  deeds  before  a  notar}'.  Among  our- 
selves, of  course,  we  could  come  to  an  understanding 
about  the  payment,  but  when  we  have  to  do  with  a 
financial  public  functionary  it  is  quite  another  thing ! 
He  won't  palaver;  he'll  trust  you  no  farther  than  he 


CSmr  Birotteau,  231 

can  see.  We  have  got  to  come  down  with  forty  thou- 
sand francs,  to  secure  the  registration,  this  week.  I 
did  not  expect  reproaches  in  coming  here,  for,  thinking 
this  twenty-five  thousand  francs  might  be  inconvenient 
to  you  just  now,  I  meant  to  tell  yon  that,  by  a  mere 
chance,  I  have  saved  yo\x  —  " 

"What?"  said  Birotteau,  with  that  rending  cry  of 
anguish  which  no  man  ever  mistakes. 

"  A  trifle !  The  notes  amounting  to  twenty- five 
thousand  francs  on  divers  securities  which  Roguin 
gave  me  to  negotiate  I  have  credited  to  jou,  for  the 
registration  payment  and  the  fees,  of  which  I  will  send 
you  an  account ;  there  will  be  a  small  amount  to  de- 
duct, and  3'ou  will  then  owe  me  about  six  or  seven 
thousand  francs." 

"  All  that  seems  to  me  perfectly  proper,"  said  Lebas. 
"  In  your  place,  monsieur,  I  should  do  the  same  towards 
a  stranger." 

"  Monsieur  Birotteau  won't  die  of  it,"  said  Claparon  ; 
"  it  takes  more  than  one  shot  to  kill  an  old  wolf.  I 
have  seen  wolves  with  a  ball  in  their  head  run,  by  God, 
like  —  wolves  !  " 

"  Who  could  have  foreseen  such  villany  as  Roguin's  ?" 
said  Lebas,  as  much  alarmed  by  Cesar's  silence  as  by 
the  discovery  of  such  enormous  speculations  outside  of 
his  friend's  legitimate  business  of  perfumery. 

"  I  came  very  near  giving  Monsieur  Birotteau  a  re- 
ceipt for  his  four  hundred  thousand  francs,"  said  Clap- 
aron. "  I  should  have  blown  up  if  I  had,  for  I  had 
given  Roguin  a  hundred  thousand  myself  the  day 
before.  Our  mutual  confidence  is  all  that  saved  me. 
Whether  the  money  were  in  a  lawyer's  hands  or  in 


232  CSsar  Birotteau. 

mine  until  the  day  came  to  pay  for  the  land,  seemed  to 
us  all  a  matter  of  no  importance." 

"  It  would  have  been  better,"  said  Lebas,  "  to  have 
kept  the  money  in  the  Bank  of  France  until  the  time 
came  to  make  the  pa3'ments." 

"  Roguin  was  the  bank  to  me,"  said  Cesar.  "  But  he 
is  in  the  speculation,"  he  added,  looking  at  Claparon. 

"Yes,  for  one-fourth,  by  verbal  agreement  only. 
After  being  such  a  fool  as  to  let  him  run  off  with  my 
mone},  I  sha'n't  be  such  a  blockhead  as  to  throw  any 
more  after  it.  If  he  sends  me  my  hundred  thousand 
francs,  and  two  hundred  thousand  more  for  his  half  of 
our  share,  I  shall  then  see  about  it.  But  he  will  take 
good  care  not  to  send  them  for  an  affair  which  needs 
five  years'  pot-boiling  before  you  get  any  broth.  If  he 
has  only  carried  off,  as  they  say,  three  hundred  thou- 
sand francs,  he  will  want  the  income  of  all  of  that  to 
live  suitably  in  foreign  countries." 

"  The  villain  !  " 

"  Eh  !  the  devil  take  him !  It  was  a  woman  who  got 
him  where  he  is,"  said  Claparon.  "  Where 's  the  old 
man  who  can  answer  for  himself  that  he  won't  be 
the  slave  of  his  last  fancy?  None  of  us,  who  think 
ourselves  so  virtuous,  know  how  we  shall  end.  A  last 
passion, — eh!  it  is  the  most  violent  of  all!  Look  at 
Cardot,  Camusot,  Matifat;  they  all  have  their  mis- 
tresses !  If  we  have  been  gobbled  up  to  satisfy  Ro- 
guin's,  is  n't  it  our  own  fault?  Why  did  n't  we  distrust 
a  notary  who  meddles  with  speculations  ?  Ever}'  notary, 
every  broker,  every  trustee  who  speculates  is  an  object 
of  suspicion.  Failure  for  them  is  fraudulent  bankrupt- 
cy ;  they  are  sure  to  go  before  the  criminal  courts,  and 


CSsar  Birotteau.  233 

therefore  thej'^  prefer  to  run  out  of  the  country.  I 
sha'n't  commit  such  a  stupid  blunder  again.  Well, 
well !  we  are  too  shaky  ourselves  in  the  matter  not  to 
let  judgment  go  by  default  against  the  men  we  have 
dined  with,  who  have  given  us  fine  balls,  —  men  of 
the  world,  in  short.  Nobody  complains  ;  we  are  all  to 
blame." 

"Very  much  to  blame,"  said  Birotteau.  "The 
laws  about  failures  and  insolvency  should  be  looked 
into." 

"  If  you  have  any  need  of  me,"  said  Lebas  to  C^sar, 
"  I  am  at  your  service." 

"  Monsieur  does  not  need  any  one,"  said  the  irre- 
pressible chatterbox,  whose  floodgates  du  Tillet  had  set 
wide  open  when  he  turned  on  the  water,  —  for  Claparon 
was  now  repeating  a  lesson  du  Tillet  had  cleverly 
taught  him.  "His  course  is  quite  clear.  Roguin's 
assets  will  give  fifty  per  cent  to  the  creditors,  so  little 
Crottat  tells  me.  Besides  this,  Monsieur  Birotteau  gets 
back  the  forty  thousand  on  his  note  to  Roguin's  client, 
which  the  lender  never  paid  over ;  then,  of  course,  he 
can  borrow  on  that  property.  We  have  four  months 
ahead  before  we  are  obliged  to  make  a  pajment  of  two 
hundred  thousand  francs  to  the  sellers.  Between  now 
and  then,  Monsieur  Birotteau  can  pay  off  his  notes ; 
though  of  course  he  can't  count  on  what  Roguin  has 
carried  off  to  meet  them.  Even  if  Monsieur  Birotteau 
should  be  rather  pinched,  with  a  little  manipulation  he 
will  come  out  all  right.'* 

The  poor  man  took  courage,  as  he  heard  Claparon 
analyzing  the  affair  and  summing  it  up  with  advice  as 
to  his  future  conduct.     His  countenance  grew  firm  and 


234  Ci%ar  Birotteau. 

decided  ;  and  he  began  to  think  highly  of  the  late  com- 
mercial traveller's  capacity.  Du  Tillet  had  thought 
best  to  let  Claparon  believe  himself  reall}'  the  victim  of 
Roguin.  He  had  given  Claparon  a  hundred  thousand 
francs  to  pay  over  to  Roguin  the  day  before  the  latter's 
flight,  and  Roguin  had  returned  the  money  to  du  Tillet. 
Claparon,  therefore,  to  that  extent  was  playing  a  gen- 
uine part;  and  he  told  whoever  would  listen  to  him 
that  Roguin  had  cost  him  a  hundred  thousand  francs. 
Du  Tillet  thought  Claparon  was  not  bold  enough,  and 
fancied  he  had  still  too  much  honor  and  decency  to 
make  it  safe  to  trust  him  with  the  full  extent  of  his 
plans ;  and  he  knew  him  to  be  mentally  incapable  of 
conjecturing  them. 

"  If  our  first  friend  is  not  our  first  dupe,  we  shall 
never  find  a  second,"  he  made  answer  to  Claparon,  on 
the  day  when  his  catchpenny  banker  reproached  him 
for  the  trick;  and  he  flung  him  away  like  a  womout 
instrument. 

Monsieur  Lebas  and  Claparon  went  out  together. 

"  I  shall  pull  through,"  said  Birotteau  to  himself. 
"  M}' liabilities  amount  to  two  hundred  and  thirtj'-five 
thousand  francs ;  that  is,  sixty-five  thousand  in  bills 
for  the  costs  of  the  ball,  and  a  hundred  and  seventy- 
five  thousand  given  in  notes  for  the  lands.  To  meet 
these,  I  have  my  share  of  Roguin's  assets,  say  perhaps 
one  hundred  thousand  francs ;  and  I  can  cancel  the 
loan  on  my  property  in  the  Faubourg  du  Temple,  as 
the  mortgagee  never  paid  the  money,  —  in  all,  one 
hundred  and  forty  thousand.  All  depends  on  making 
a  hundred  thousand  francs  out  of  Cephalic  Oil,  and 
waiting  patientl}^  with  the  help  of  a  few  notes,  or  a 


CSsar  Birotteau.  235 

credit  at  a  banker's,  until  I  repair  my  losses   or  the 
lands  about  the  Madeleine  reach  their  full  value." 

When  a  man  crushed  by  misfortune  is  once  able  to 
make  the  fiction  of  a  hope  for  himself  by  a  series  of 
arguments,  more  or  less  reasonable,  with  which  he  bol- 
sters himself  up  to  rest  his  head,  it  often  happens  that 
he  is  really  saved.  Many  a  man  has  derived  energy 
from  the  confidence  born  of  illusions.  Possibly,  hope  is 
the  better  half  of  courage ;  indeed,  the  Catholic  religion 
makes  it  a  virtue.  Hope  !  has  it  not  sustained  the  weak, 
and  given  the  fainting  heart  time  and  patience  to  await 
the  chances  and  changes  of  life  ?  Cesar  resolved  to  con- 
fide his  situation  to  his  wife's  uncle  before  seeking  for 
succor  elsewhere.  But  as  he  walked  down  the  Rue  Saint 
Honor^  towards  the  Rue  des  Bourdonnais,  he  endured 
an  inward  anguish  and  distress  which  shook  him  so 
violently  that  he  fancied  his  health  was  giving  way. 
His  bowels  seemed  on  fire.  It  is  an  established  fact 
that  persons  who  feel  through  their  diaphragms  sufier 
in  those  parts  when  overtaken  by  misfortune,  just  as 
others  whose  perceptions  are  in  their  heads  suffer  from 
cerebral  pains  and  affections.  In  great  crises,  the 
physical  powers  are  attacked  at  the  point  where  the 
individual  temperament  has  placed  the  vital  spark. 
Feeble  beings  have  the  colic.  Napoleon  slept.  Before 
assailing  the  confidence  of  a  life-long  friendship,  and 
breaking  down  all  the  barriers  of  pride  and  self-assur- 
ance, an  honorable  man  must  needs  feel  in  his  heart  — 
and  feel  it  more  than  once  —  the  spur  of  that  cruel 
rider,  necessity.  Thus  it  happened  that  Birotteau  had 
been  goaded  for  two  days  before  he  could  bring  himself 
to  seek  his  uncle ;  it  was,  indeed,  only  family  reasons 


236  CSsar  Birotteau. 

which  finall3'  decided  him  to  do  so.  In  any  state  of  the 
case,  it  was  his  duty  to  explain  his  position  to  the  severe 
old  ironmonger,  his  wife's  uncle.  Nevertheless,  as  he 
reached  the  house  he  felt  that  inward  faintness  which 
a  child  feels  when  taken  to  a  dentist's ;  but  this  shrink- 
ing of  the  heart  involved  the  whole  of  his  life,  past, 
present,  and  to  come,  —  it  was  not  the  fugitive  pain 
of  a  moment.     He  went  slowly  up  the  stairs. 


C6mr  Birotteau.  287 


11. 

The  old  man  was  reading  the  *♦  Constitutionel"  m 
his  chimney-corner,  before  a  little  round  table  on  which 
stood  his  frugal  breakfast,  —  a  roll,  some  butter,  a  plate 
of  Brie  cheese,  and  a  cup  of  coffee. 

"Here  is  true  wisdom,"  thought  Birotteau,  envying 
his  uncle's  life. 

"  Well !  "  said  Pillerault,  taking  off  his  spectacles, 
*'  I  heard  at  the  cafe  David  last  night  about  Roguin's 
affair,  and  the  assassination  of  his  mistress,  la  belle 
Hollandaise.  I  hope,  as  we  desire  to  be  actual  owners 
of  the  property,  that  you  obtained  Claparon's  receipt 
for  the  money." 

*'  Alas  !  uncle,  no.  The  trouble  is  just  there,  —  you 
have  put  your  finger  upon  the  sore." 

' '  Good  God !  you  are  ruined  !  "  cried  Pillerault,  letting 
fall  his  newspaper,  which  Birotteau  picked  up,  though 
it  was  the  "  Constitutionel."  , 

Pillerault  was  so  violently  roused  by  his  reflections 
that  his  face  —  like  the  image  on  a  medal  and  of  the 
same  stem  character  —  took  a  deep  bronze  tone,  such 
as  the  metal  itself  takes  under  the  oscillating  tool  of 
a  coiner ;  he  remained  motionless,  gazing  through  the 
window-panes  at  the  opposite  wall,  but  seeing  nothing, 
—  listening,  however,  to  Birotteau.  Evidently  he  heard 
and  judged,  and  weighed  the  pros  and  cons  with  the 
inflexibility  of  a  Minos  who  had  crossed  the  Styx  of 


288  C6iar  Birotteau. 

commerce  when  he  quitted  the  Qiiai  des  Morfondos  for 
his  little  third  storey. 

"Well,  uncle?"  said  Birotteau,  who  waited  for  an 
answer,  after  closing  what  he  had  to  say  with  an  en- 
treaty that  Pillerault  would  sell  sixty  thousand  francs 
out  of  the  Funds. 

"  Well,  my  poor  nephew,  I  cannot  do  it ;  5'ou  are  too 
heavily  involved.  The  Ragons  and  I  each  lose  our 
fifty  thousand  francs.  Those  worthy  people  have,  by 
my  advice,  sold  their  shares  in  the  mines  of  Wortschin : 
I  feel  obliged,  in  case  of  loss,  not  to  return  the  capital 
of  course,  but  to  succor  them,  and  to  succor  my  niece 
and  Cesarine.  You  may  all  want  bread,  and  you  shall 
find  it  with  me." 

"  Want  bread,  uncle?  " 

"  Yes,  bread.  See  things  as  they  are,  C^sar.  You 
cannot  extricate  yourself.  With  five  thousand  six  hun- 
dred francs  income,  I  could  set  aside  four  thousand 
francs  for  you  and  the  Ragons.  If  misfortune  overtakes 
you,  — I  know  Constance,  she  will  work  herself  to  the 
bone,  she  will  deny  herself  everything;  and  so  will 
you,  Cesar." 

"  All  is  not  hopeless,  uncle.** 

"  I  cannot  see  it  as  you  do." 

"  I  will  prove  that  you  are  mistaken.'* 

"  Nothing  would  give  me  greater  happiness." 

Birotteau  left  Pillerault  without  another  word.  He 
had  come  to  seek  courage  and  consolation,  and  he  re- 
ceived a  blow  less  severe,  perhaps,  than  the  first ;  but 
instead  of  striking  his  head  it  struck  his  heart,  and  his 
heart  was  the  whole  of  life  to  the  poor  man.  After 
going  down  a  few  stairs  he  returned. 


Cisar  Birotteau.  239 

"  Monsieur," he  said,  in  a  cold  voice,  "Constance 
knows  nothing.  Keep  my  secret  at  any  rate ;  beg 
the  Ragons  to  say  nothing,  and  not  to  take  from  my 
home  the  peace  I  need  so  much  in  my  struggle  against 
misfortune." 

Pillerault  made  a  gesture  of  assent. 

"  Courage,  Cesar !  "  he  said.  "  I  see  you  are  angry 
with  me ;  but  later,  when  joxx  think  of  your  wife  and 
daughter,  you  will  do  me  justice." 

Discouraged  by  his  uncle's  opinion,  and  recognizing 
its  clear-sightedness,  C^sar  tumbled  from  the  heights  of 
hope  into  the  miry  marshes  of  doubt  and  uncertainty. 
In  such  horrible  commercial  straits  a  man,  unless  his 
soul  is  tempered  like  that  of  Pillerault,  becomes  the 
plaything  of  events ;  ho  follows  the  ideas  of  others,  or 
his  own,  as  a  traveller  pursues  a  will-o'-the-wisp.  He 
lets  the  gust  whirl  him  along,  instead  of  lying  flat  and 
not  looking  up  as  it  passes ;  or  else  gathering  himself 
together  to  follow  the  direction  of  the  storm  till  he  can 
escape  from  the  edges  of  it.  In  the  midst  of  his  pain 
Birotteau  bethought  him  of  the  steps  he  ought  to  take 
about  the  mortgage  on  his  property'.  He  turned  towards 
the  Rue  Vivienne  to  find  Derville,  his  solicitor,  and  in- 
stitute proceedings  at  once,  in  case  the  law3'er  should 
see  any  chance  of  annulling  the  agreement.  He  found 
Der^'ille  sitting  b}'  the  fire,  wrapped  in  a  white  woollen 
dressing-gown,  calm  and  composed  in  manner,  like  all 
lawyers  long  used  to  receiving  terrible  confidences. 
Birotteau  noticed  for  the  first  time  in  his  life  this  neces- 
sary coldness,  which  struck  a  chill  to  the  soul  of  a  man 
grasped  hy  the  fever  of  imperilled  interests,  —  passion- 
ate, wounded,  and  cruelly  gashed  in  his  life,  his  honor. 


240  CSiar  Birotteau. 

his  wife,  his  child,  as  Cesar  showed  himself  to  be  while 
he  related  his  misfortunes. 

"  If  it  can  be  proved,"  said  Derville,  after  listening  to 
him,  "  that  the  lender  no  longer  had  in  Roguin's  hands 
the  sum  which  Roguin  pretended  to  borrow  for  j'ou  upon 
your  property',  then,  as  there  has  been  no  delivery  of 
the  money,  there  is  ground  for  annulling  the  contract ; 
the  lender  may  seek  redress  through  the  warranty,  as 
you  will  for  your  hundred  thousand  francs.  I  will 
answer  for  the  case,  however,  as  much  as  one  can  ever 
answer.     No  case  is  won  till  it  is  tried." 

The  opinion  of  so  able  a  lawyer  restored  Cesar's 
courage  a  little,  and  he  begged  Derville  to  obtain  a 
judgment  within  a  fortnight.  The  solicitor  replied  that 
it  might  take  three  months  to  get  such  a  judgment  as 
would  annul  the  agreement. 

"  Three  months!  "  cried  Birotteau,  who  needed  im- 
mediate resources. 

"  Though  we  may  get  the  case  at  once  on  the  docket, 
we  cannot  make  your  adversary  keep  pace  with  us.  He 
will  employ  all  the  law's  delays,  and  the  barristers  are 
seldom  ready.  Perhaps  3'our  opponents  will  let  the 
case  go  by  default.  We  can't  always  get  on  as  we  wish," 
said  Derville,  smiling. 

*'  In  the  commercial  courts  —  "  began  Birotteau. 

"  Oh  !  "  said  the  lawyer,  "  the  judges  of  the  commer- 
cial courts  and  the  judges  of  the  civil  courts  are  differ- 
ent sorts  of  judges.  You  dash  through  things.  At 
the  Palais  de  Justice  we  have  stricter  forms.  Forms 
are  the  bulwark  of  law.  How  would  you  like  slap-dash 
judgments  which  can't  be  appealed,  and  which  would 
mait2  you  lose  forty  thousand  francs?    Well,  your  ad- 


CSsar  Birotteau.  241 

versary,  who  sees  that  sum  involved,  will  defend  him- 
self.    Delays  may  be  called  judicial  fortifications." 

"You  are  right,"  said  Birotteau,  bidding  Derville 
good-by,  and  going  hurriedly  away,  with  death  in  his 
heart. 

"  They  are  all  right.  Money !  money !  I  must  have 
money  !  "  he  cried  as  he  went  along  the  streets,  talking 
to  himself  like  other  busy  men  in  the  turbulent  and 
seething  city,  which  a  modern  poet  has  called  a  vat. 
When  he  entered  his  shop,  the  clerk  who  had  carried 
round  the  bills  informed  him  that  the  customers  had  re- 
turned the  receipts  and  kept  the  accounts,  as  it  was  so 
near  the  first  of  January. 

"  Then  there  is  no  money  to  be  had  anywhere,"  said 
the  perfumer,  aloud. 

He  bit  his  lips,  for  the  clerks  all  raised  their  heads 
and  looked  at  him. 

Five  days  went  by ;  five  days  during  which  Braschon, 
Lourdois,  Thorein,  Grindot,  Chaffaroux,  and  all  the 
other  creditors  with  unpaid  bills  passed  through  the 
chameleon  phases  that  are  customary  to  uneasy  cred- 
itors before  they  take  the  sanguinary  colors  of  the 
commercial  Bellona,  and  reach  a  state  of  peaceful  con- 
fidence. In  Paris  the  astringent  stage  of  suspicion  and 
mistrust  is  as  quick  to  declare  itself  as  the  expansive 
flow  of  confidence  is  slow  in  gathering  way.  The  cred- 
itor who  has  once  turned  into  the  narrow  path  of  com- 
mercial fears  and  precautions  speedily  takes  a  course 
of  malignant  meanness  which  puts  him  below  the  level 
of  his  debtor.  He  passes  from  specious  civility  to 
Impatient  rage,  to  the  surly  clamor  of  importunity,  to 
bursts  of  disappointment,  to  the  livid  coldness  of  a  mind 

16 


242  CSsar  Birotteau. 

made  up  to  vengeance,  and  the  scowling  insolence  of  a 
summons  before  the  courts.  Braschon,  the  rich  up- 
holsterer of  the  Faubourg  Saint-Antoine,  who  was  not 
invited  to  the  ball,  and  was  therefore  stabbed  in  his 
self-love,  sounded  the  charge  ;  he  insisted  on  being  paid 
within  twentj'-four  hours.  He  demanded  security  ;  not 
an  attachment  on  the  furniture,  but  a  second  mortgage 
on  the  property  in  the  Faubourg  du  Temple. 

In  spite  of  such  attacks  and  the  violence  of  these 
recriminations,  a  few  peaceful  intervals  occuiTed,  when 
Birotteau  breathed  once  more  ;  but  instead  of  resolutely 
facing  and  vanquishing  the  first  skirmishings  of  adverse 
fortune,  Cesar  emplo3^ed  his  whole  mind  in  the  effort 
to  keep  his  wife,  the  only  person  able  to  advise  him, 
from  knowing  anything  about  them.  He  guarded  the 
very  threshold  of  his  door,  and  set  a  watch  on  all 
around  him.  He  took  C^lestin  into  confidence  so  far 
as  to  admit  a  momentary  embarrassment,  and  Celestin 
examined  him  with  an  amazed  and  inquisitive  look. 
In  his  eyes  Cesar  lessened,  as  men  lessen  in  pres- 
ence of  disasters  when  accustomed  only  to  success, 
and  when  their  whole  mental  strength  consists  of 
knowledge  which  commonplace  minds  acquire  through 
routine. 

Menaced  as  he  was  on  so  many  sides  at  once,  and 
without  the  energy  or  capacity  to  defend  himself,  Cesar 
nevertheless  had  the  courage  to  look  his  position  in  the 
face.  To  meet  the  payments  on  his  house  and  on  his 
loans,  and  to  pa}'  his  rents  and  his  current  expenses,  he 
required,  between  the  end  of  December  and  the  fifteenth 
of  January,  a  sum  of  sixty  thousand  francs,  half  of 
which  must  be  obtained  before  the  thirtieth  of  December- 


C6mr  Birotteau.  243 

« 

All  his  resources  put  together  gave  him  a  scant  twenty 
thousand ;  he  lacked  ten  thousand  francs  for  the  first 
payments.  To  his  mind  the  position  did  not  seem  des- 
perate ;  for  lil<e  an  adventurer  who  lives  from  day  to  day, 
he  saw  only  the  present  moment.  He  resolved  to  at- 
tempt, before  the  news  of  his  embarrassments  was  made 
public,  what  seemed  to  him  a  great  stroke,  and  seek 
out  the  famous  Fran9ois  Keller,  banker,  orator,  and 
philanthropist,  celebrated  for  his  benevolence  and  for 
his  desire  to  serve  the  interests  of  Parisian  commerce, 
— with  the  view,  we  maj'  add,  of  being  always  returned 
to  the  Chamber  as  a  deputy  of  Paris. 

The  banker  was  Liberal,  Birotteau  was  Royalist ;  but 
the  perfumer  judged  by  his  own  heart,  and  believed  that 
the  difference  in  their  political  opinions  would  only  be 
one  reason  the  more  for  obtaining  the  credit  he  intended 
to  ask.  In  case  actual  securities  were  required  he  felt 
no  doubt  of  Popinot's  devotion,  from  whom  he  expected 
to  obtain  some  thirty  thousand  francs,  which  would 
enable  him  to  await  the  result  of  his  law-suit  by  satis- 
fying the  demands  of  the  most  exacting  of  the  creditors. 
The  demonstrative  perfumer,  who  told  his  dear  Con- 
stance, with  his  head  on  her  pillow,  the  smallest 
thoughts  and  feelings  of  his  whole  life,  looking  for  the 
lights  of  her  contradiction,  and  gathering  courage  as  he 
did  so,  was  now  prevented  from  speaking  of  his  situation 
to  his  head-clerk,  his  uncle,  or  his  wife.  His  thoughts 
were  therefore  doubly  heavy,  —  and  yet  the  generous 
martyr  preferred  to  suffer,  rather  than*  fling  the  fiery 
brand  into  the  soul  of  his  wife.  He  meant  to  tell  her 
of  the  danger  when  it  was  over.  The  awe  with  which 
she  inspired  him  gave  him  courage.     He  went  every 


244  CSsar  Birotteau. 

morning  to  hear  Mass  at  Saint-Roch,  and  took  God  for 
his  confidant. 

"  If  I  do  not  meet  a  soldier  coming  home  from  Saint- 
Roch,  my  request  will  be  granted.  That  will  be  God's 
answer,"  he  said  to  himself,  after  praying  that  God 
would  help  him. 

And  he  was  overjoyed  when  it  happened  that  he  did 
not  meet  a  soldier.  Still,  his  heart  was  so  heavy  that 
he  needed  another  heart  on  which  to  lean  and  moan. 
C^sarine,  to  whom  from  the  first  he  confided  the  fatal 
truth,  knew  all  his  secrets.  Many  stolen  glances  passed 
between  them,  glances  of  despair  or  smothered  hope, 
—  interpellations  of  the  eye  darted  with  mutual  eager- 
ness, inquiries  and  replies  full  of  sj'mpathy,  rays 
passing  from  soul  to  soul.  Birotteau  compelled  him- 
self to  seem  gay,  even  jovial,  with  his  wife.  If  Con- 
stance asked  a  question  —  bah !  everything  was  going 
well ;  Popinot  (about  whom  Cesar  knew  nothing)  was 
succeeding ;  the  oil  was  looking  up ;  the  notes  with 
Claparon  would  be  paid ;  there  was  nothing  to  fear. 
His  mock  joy  was  terrible  to  witness.  When  his  wife 
had  fallen  asleep  in  the  sumptuous  bed,  Birotteau 
would  rise  to  a  sitting  posture  and  think  over  his 
troubles.  Cesarine  would  sometimes  creep  in  with 
bare  feet,  in  her  chemise,  and  a  shawl  over  her  white 
shoulders. 

"Papa,  I  hear  you, — you  are  crying,"  she  would 
say,  crying  herself. 

Birotteau  sank  into  such  torpor,  after  writing  the 
letter  which  asked  for  an  interview  with  the  great 
Francois  Keller,  that  his  daughter  took  him  out  for 
a  walk  through  the  streets  of  Paris.     For  the  first 


CSsar  Birotteau.  245 

time  he  was  roused  to  notice  enormous  scarlet  pla- 
cards on  all  the  walls,  and  his  eyes  encountered  the 
words  "  Cephalic  Oil." 

While  catastrophes  thus  threatened  "The  Queen  of 
Roses"  to  westward,  the  house  of  A.  Popinot  was 
rising,  radiant  in  the  eastern  splendors  of  success.  By 
the  advice  of  Gaudissart  and  Finot,  Anselme  launched 
his  oil  heroically.  Two  thousand  placards  were  pasted 
in  three  dajs  on  the  most  conspicuous  spots  in  all  Paris. 
No  one  could  avoid  coming  face  to  face  with  Cephalic 
Oil,  and  reading  a  pith}^  sentence,  constructed  by  Fi- 
not, which  announced  the  impossibility  of  forcing  the 
hair  to  grow  and  the  dangers  of  dyeing  it,  and  was 
judiciously  accompanied  by  a  quotation  from  Vauque- 
lin's  report  to  the  Academy  of  Sciences,  —  in  short, 
a  regular  certificate  of  life  for  dead  hair,  offered  to  all 
those  who  used  Cephalic  Oil.  Every  hair-dresser  in. 
Paris,  and  all  the  perfumers,  ornamented  their  door- 
ways with  gilt  frames  containing  a  fine  impi-ession  of 
the  prospectus  on  vellum,  at  the  top  of  which  shone 
the  engraving  of  Hero  and  Leander,  reduced  in  size, 
with  the  following  assertion  as  an  epigraph :  ' '  The 
peoples  of  antiquity  preserved  their  hair  by  the  use  of 
Cephalic  Oil." 

"  He  has  devised  frames,  permanent  frames,  per- 
petual placards,"  said  Birotteau  to  himself,  quite  dumb- 
founded as  he  stood  before  the  shop-front  of  the  Cloche 
d' Argent. 

"  Then  you  have  not  seen,"  said  his  daughter,  "  the 
frame  which  Monsieur  Anselme  brought  with  his  own 
hands,  sending  C^lestin  three  hundred  bottles  of  oil  ?  " 

"  No,"  he  said. 


246  CSsar  Birotteau. 

"Celestin  has  already  sold  fifty  to  passers-by,  and 
sixty  to  regular  customers." 

"  All !  "  exclaimed  Cesar. 

The  poor  man,  bewildered  b}'  the  clash  of  bells  which 
misery  jangles  in  the  ears  of  its  victims,  lived  and 
moved  in  a  dazed  condition.  The  night  before,  Popi- 
not  had  waited  more  than  an  hour  to  see  him,  and  went 
away  after  talking  with  Constance  and  Cesarine,  who 
told  him  that  Cesar  was  absorbed  in  his  great  enterprise. 

"  Ah,  true  !  the  lands  about  the  Madeleine." 

Happil}',  Popinot — who  for  a  month  had  never  left 
the  Rue  des  Cinq-Diamants,  sitting  up  all  night,  and 
working  all  Sunday  at  the  manufactory^  —  had  seen 
neither  the  Ragons,  nor  Pillerault,  nor  his  uncle  the 
judge.  He  allowed  himself  but  two  hours'  sleep,  poor 
lad  !  he  had  only  two  clerks,  but  at  the  rate  things  were 
now  going,  he  would  soon  need  four.  In  business,  op- 
portunity is  everything.  He  who  does  not  spring  upon 
the  back  of  success  and  clutch  it  by  the  mane,  lets 
fortune  escape.  Popinot  felt  that  his  suit  would  prosper 
if  six  months  hence  he  could  say  to  his  uncle  and  aunt, 
"  I  am  secure  ;  my  fortune  is  made,"  and  carry  to  Birot- 
teau thirt}'  or  forty  thousand  francs  as  his  share  of  the 
profits.  He  was  ignorant  of  Roguin's  flight,  of  the 
disasters  and  embarrassments  which  were  closing  down 
on  Cesar,  and  he  therefore  could  say  nothing  indiscreet 
to  Madame  Birotteau. 

Popinot  had  promised  Finot  five  hundred  francs  for 
every  puff  in  a  first-class  newspaper,  and  already  there 
were  ten  of  them ;  three  hundred  francs  for  every 
second-rate  paper,  and  there  were  ten  of  those,  —  in 
all  of  them  Cephalic  Oil  was  mentioned  three  times 


CSsar  Birotteau.  247 

a  month  !  Finot  saw  three  thousand  francs  for  himself 
out  of  these  eight  thousand.  —  his  first  stake  on  the  vast 
green  table  of  speculation !  He  therefore  sprang  like  a 
lion  on  his  friends  and  acquaintances ;  he  haunted  the 
editorial  rooms ;  he  wormed  himself  to  the  very  bed- 
sides of  editors  in  the  morning,  and  prowled  about  the 
lobby  of  the  theatres  at  night.  "Think  of  my  oil, 
dear  friend  ;  I  have  no  interest  in  it  —  bit  of  good  fel- 
lowship, 3'ou  know  !  "  "  Gaudissart,  J0II3' dog ! "  Such 
was  the  first  and  the  last  phrase  of  all  his  allocutions. 
He  begged  for  the  bottom  lines  of  the  final  columns  of 
the  newspapers,  and  inserted  articles  for  which  he 
asked  no  pay  from  the  editors.  Wily  as  a  supernumer- 
ary who  wants  to  be  an  actor,  wide-awake  as  an  errand- 
boy  who  earns  sixty  francs  a  month,  he  wrote  wheedUng 
letters,  flattered  the  self-love  of  editors-in-chief,  and 
did  them  base  services  to  get  his  articles  inserted. 
Money,  dinners,  platitudes,  all  served  the  purpose  of 
his  eager  activity.  With  tickets  for  the  theatre,  he 
bribed  the  printers  who  about  midnight  are  finishing 
up  the  columns  of  a  newspaper  with  little  facts  and 
ready-made  items  kept  on  hand.  At  that  hour  Finot 
hovered  around  printing-presses,  busy,  apparently,  with 
proofs  to  be  corrected.  Keeping  friends  with  every- 
body, he  brought  Cephalic  Oil  to  a  triumphant  suc- 
cess over  Pate  de  Regnauld,  and  Brazilian  Mixture, 
and  all  the  other  inventions  which  had  the  genius 
to  comprehend  journalistic  influence  and  the  suction 
power  that  reiterated  newspaper  articles  have  upon  the 
public  mind.  In  these  early  days  of  their  innocence 
many  journalists  were  like  cattle ;  thej'  were  unaware 
of  their  inborn  power;    their  heads  were  full  of  ac- 


248  C6%ar  Birotteau. 

tresses,  —  Florine,  Tullia,  Marie tte,  etc.  They  laid  down 
the  law  to  everybody,  but  they  picked  up  nothing  for 
themselves.  As  Finot's  schemes  did  not  concern  ac- 
tresses who  wanted  applause,  nor  plays  to  be  puffed,  nor 
vaudevilles  to  be  accepted,  nor  articles  which  had  to  be 
paid  for,  — on  the  contraiy,  he  paid  money  on  occasion, 
and  gave  timely  breakfasts,  —  there  was  soon  not  a 
newspaper  in  Paris  which  did  not  mention  Cephalic  Oil, 
and  call  attention  to  its  remarkable  concurrence  with 
the  principles  of  Vauquelin's  analysis ;  ridiculing  all 
those  who  thought  hair  could  be  made  to  grow,  and 
proclaiming  the  danger  of  d3^eing  it. 

These  articles  rejoiced  the  soul  of  Gaudissart,  who 
used  them  as  ammunition  to  destro}'  prejudice,  bringing 
to  bear  upon  the  provinces  what  his  successors  have 
since  named,  in  honor  of  him,  "the  charge  of  the 
tongue-battery."  In  those  days  Parisian  newspapers 
ruled  the  departments,  which  were  still  (unhappy  re- 
gions !)  without  local  organs.  The  papers  were  there- 
fore soberly  studied,  from  the  title  to  the  name  of  the 
printer,  —  a  last  line  which  ma}'-  have  hidden  the  ironies 
of  persecuted  opinion.  Gaudissart,  thus  backed  up  by 
the  press,  met  with  startling  success  from  the  very  first 
town  which  he  favored  with  his  tongue.  Every  shop- 
keeper in  the  provinces  wanted  the  gilt  frames,  and  the 
prospectuses  with  Hero  and  Leander  at  the  top  of  them. 

In  Paris,  Finot  fired  at  Macassar  Oil  that  delightful 
joke  which  made  people  so  merry  at  the  Funambules, 
when  Pierrot,  taking  an  old  hair-broom,  anointed  it 
with  Macassar  Oil,  and  the  broom  incontinently  became 
a  mop.  This  ironical  scene  excited  universal  laughter. 
Finot  gayly  related  in   after  days  that  without  the 


CSsar  Birotteau.  249 

thousand  crowns  he  earned  through  Cephalic  Oil  he 
should  have  died  of  misery  and  despair.  To  him  a 
thousand  crowns  was  fortune.  It  was  in  this  campaign 
that  he  guessed  —  let  him  have  the  honor  of  being  the 
first  to  do  so  —  the  illimitable  power  of  advertisement, 
of  which  he  made  so  great  and  so  judicious  a  use. 
Three  months  later  he  became  editor-in-chief  of  a  little 
journal  which  he  finally  bought,  and  which  laid  the 
foundation  of  his  ultimate  success.  Just  as  the  tongue- 
battery  of  the  illustrious  Gaudissart,  that  Murat  of 
travellers,  when  brought  to  bear  upon  the  provinces  and 
the  frontiers,  made  the  house  of  A.  Popinot  and  Company 
a  triumphant  mercantile  success  in  the  country  regions, 
so  likewise  did  Cephalic  Oil  triumph  in  Parisian  opinion, 
thanks  to  Finot's  famishing  assault  upon  the  newspapers, 
which  gave  it  as  much  publicity  as  that  obtained  by  Bra- 
zilian Mixture  and  the  Pate  de  Regnauld.  From  the 
start,  public  opinion,  thus  carried  by  storm,  begot  three 
successes,  three  fortunes,  and  proved  the  advance  guard 
of  that  invasion  of  ambitious  schemes  which  since  have 
poured  their  crowded  battalions  into  the  arena  of 
journalism,  for  which  they  have  created  —  oh,  mighty 
revolution !  —  the  paid  advertisement.  The  name  of 
A.  Popinot  and  Company  now  flaunted  on  all  the  walls 
and  all  the  shop-fronts.  Incapable  of  perceiving  the 
full  bearing  of  such  publicity,  Birotteau  merely  said  to 
his  daughter,  — 

"  Little  Popinot  is  following  in  my  steps." 
He  did  not  understand  the  difference  of  the  times, 
nor  appreciate  the  power  of  the  novel  methods  of  exe- 
cution, whose  rapiditj*  and  extent  took  in,  far  more 
promptly  than  ever  before,  the  whole  commercial  uni- 


250  C6%ar  Birotteau. 

verse.  Birotteau  had  not  set  foot  in  his  manufactory 
since  the  ball ;  he  knew  nothing  therefore  of  the  energy 
and  enterprise  displa^'ed  by  Popinot.  Anselme  had  en- 
gaged all  Cesar's  workmen,  and  often  slept  himself  on 
the  premises.  His  fancy  pictured  Cesarine  sitting  on 
the  cases,  and  hovering  over  the  shipments ;  her  name 
seemed  printed  on  the  bills  ;  and  as  he  worked  with  his 
coat  off,  and  his  shirt-sleeves  rolled  up,  courageously 
nailing  up  the  cases  himself,  in  default  of  the  necessary 
clerks,  he  said  in  his  heart,  "  She  shall  be  mine ! " 

The  following  day  C^sar  went  to  Fran5ois  Keller's 
house  in  Rue  du  Houssaye,  having  spent  the  night 
turning  over  in  his  mind  what  he  ought  to  saj^,  or  ought 
not  to  say,  to  a  leading  man  in  banking  circles.  Hor- 
rible palpitations  of  the  heart  assailed  him  as  he  ap- 
proached the  house  of  the  Liberal  banker,  who  belonged 
to  a  party  accused,  with  good  reason,  of  seeking  the 
overthrow  of  the  restored  Bourbons.  The  perfumer, 
like  all  the  lesser  tradesmen  of  Paris,  was  ignorant  of 
the  habits  and  customs  of  the  upper  banking  circles. 
Between  the  higher  walks  of  finance  and  ordinary  com- 
merce, there  is  in  .Paris  a  class  of  secondary  houses, 
useful  intermediaries  for  banking  interests,  which  find  in 
them  an  additional  securit3\  Constance  and  Birotteau, 
who  had  never  gone  beyond  their  means,  whose  purse 
had  never  run  dry,  and  who  kept  their  monejs  in  their 
own  possession,  had  so  far  never  needed  the  services 
of  these  intermediary  houses ;  they  were  therefore  un- 
known in  the  higher  regions  of  a  bank.  Perhaps  it  is  a 
mistake  not  to  take  out  credits,  even  if  we  do  not  need 
them.     Opinions  vary  on  this  point.     However  that 


Ci%ar  Birotteau.  251 

may  be,  Birotteau  now  deeply  regretted  that  his  signa- 
ture was  unknown.  Still,  as  deputy-mayor,  and  there- 
fore known  in  politics,  he  thought  he  had  only  to 
present  his  name  and  be  admitted :  he  was  quite  igno- 
rant of  the  ceremonial,  half  regal,  which  attended  an 
audience  with  Fran9ois  Keller.  He  was  shown  into  a 
salon  which  adjoined  the  study  of  the  celebrated  banker, 
— celebrated  in  various  ways.  Birotteau  found  himself 
among  a  numerous  company  of  deputies,  writers,  jour- 
nalists, stock-brokers,  merchants  of  the  upper  grades, 
agents,  engineers,  and  above  all  satellites,  or  hench- 
men, who  passed  from  group  to  group,  and  knocked  in 
a  peculiar  manner  at  the  door  of  the  study,  which  they 
were,  as  it  seemed,  privileged  to  enter. 

"What  am  I  in  the  midst  of  all  this?"  thought 
Birotteau,  quite  bewildered  b}'  the  stir  of  this  intellect- 
ual kiln,  where  the  daily  bread  of  the  opposition  was 
kneaded  and  baked,  and  the  scenes  of  the  grand  tragi- 
comedy placed  by  the  Left  were  rehearsed.  On  one 
side  he  heard  them  discussing  the  question  of  loans  to 
complete  the  net-work  of  canals  proposed  by  the  de- 
partment on'  highways ;  and  the  discussion  involved 
millions  !  On  the  other,  journalists,  pandering  to  the 
banker's  self-love,  were  talldng  about  the  session  of  the 
day  before,  and  the  impromptu  speech  of  the  great  man. 
In  the  course  of  two  long  hours  Birotteau  saw  the 
banker  three  times,  as  he  accompanied  certain  persons 
of  importance  three  steps  from  the  door  of  his  study. 
But  Francois  Keller  went  to  the  door  of  the  ante- 
chamber with  the  last,  who  was  General  Foy. 

"  There  is  no  hope  for  me !  "  thought  Birotteau  with 
a  shrinking  heart. 


252  CSsar  Birotteau. 

When  the  banker  returned  to  his  study,  the  troop  of 
courtiers,  friends,  and  self-seekers  pressed  round  him 
like  dogs  pursuing  a  bitch.  A  few  bold  curs  slipped,  in 
spite  of  him,  into  the  sanctum.  The  conferences  lasted 
five,  ten,  or  fifteen  minutes.  Some  went  away  chap- 
fallen  ;  others  affected  satisfaction,  and  took  on  airs  of 
importance.  Time  passed ;  Birotteau  looked  anxiously 
at  the  clock.  No  one  paid  the  least  attention  to  the 
hidden  grief  which  moaned  silently  in  the  gilded  arm- 
chair in  the  chimney  corner,  near  the  door  of  the  cabinet 
where  dwelt  the  universal  panacea  —  credit !  Cesar 
remembered  sadly  that  for  a  brief  moment  he  too  had 
been  a  king  among  his  own  people,  as  this  man  was  a 
king  dail}' ;  and  he  measured  the  depth  of  the  abj'ss 
down  which  he  had  fallen.  Ah,  bitter  thought !  how 
many  tears  were  driven  back  during  those  waiting 
hours !  how  many  times  did  he  not  pray  to  God  that 
this  man  might  be  favorable  to  him  !  for  he  saw,  through 
the  coarse  varnish  of  popular  good  humor,  a  tone  of  in- 
solence, a  choleric  tyranny,  a  brutal  desire  to  rule, 
which  terrified  his  gentle  spirit.  At  last,  when  only 
ten  or  twelve  persons  were  left  in  the  room,  Birotteau 
resolved  that  the  next  time  the  outer  door  of  the  study 
turned  on  its  hinges  he  would  rise  and  face  the  great 
orator,  and  sa}'^  to  him,  "  I  am  Birotteau  !  "  The  gren- 
adier who  sprang  first  into  the  redoubt  at  Moscow  dis- 
played no  greater  courage  than  Cesar  now  summoned  up 
to  perform  this  act. 

"  After  all,  I  am  his  mayor,"  he  said  to  himself  as 
he  rose  to  proclaim  his  name. 

The  countenance  of  Fran9ois  Keller  at  once  became 
afiable  ;  he  evidently  desired  to  be  cordial.    He  glanced 


CSsar  Birotteau.  253 

at  Cesar's  red  ribbon,  and  stepping  back,  opened  the 
door  of  liis  study  and  motioned  him  to  enter,  remain- 
ing himself  for  some  time  to  speak  with  two  men, 
who  rushed  in  from  the  staircase  with  the  violence  of  a 
waterspout. 

"  Decazes  wants  to  speak  to  you,"  said  one  of  them. 

"  It  is  a  question  of  defeating  the  Pavilion  Marsan  !  " 
cried  the  other.  "  The  King's  eyes  are  opened.  He  is 
coming  round  to  us." 

"We  will  go  together  to  the  Chamber,"  said  the 
banker,  striking  the  attitude  of  the  frog  who  imitates 
an  ox. 

"How  can  he  find  time  to  think  of  business?" 
thought  Birotteau,  much  disturbed. 

The  sun  of  successful  superiority  dazzled  the  per- 
fumer, as  light  blinds  those  insects  who  seek  the  falling 
daj'  or  the  half-shadows  of  a  starlit  night.  On  a  table 
of  immense  size  lay  the  budget,  piles  of  the  Chamber 
records,  open  volumes  of  the  "  Moniteur,"  with  passages 
carefully  marked,  to  throw  at  the  head  of  a  Minister 
his  forgotten  words  and  force  him  to  recant  them, 
under  the  jeering  plaudits  of  a  foolish  crowd  incapable 
of  perceiving  how  circumstances  alter  cases.  On  an- 
other table  were  heaped  portfolios,  minutes,  projects, 
specifications,  and  all  the  thousand  memoranda  brought 
to  bear  upon  a  man  into  whose  funds  so  many  nascent 
industries  sought  to  dip.  The  royal  luxury  of  this 
cabinet,  filled  with  pictures,  statues,  and  works  of  art ; 
the  encumbered  chimney-piece ;  the  accumulation  of 
many  interests,  national  and  foreign,  heaped  together 
like  bales,  —  all  struck  Birotteau's  mind,  dwarfed  his 
powers,  heightened  his  terror,  and  froze  his  blood. 


254  C^sar  Birotteau. 

On  Fran9ois  Keller's  desk  lay  bundles  of  notes  and 
checks,  letters  of  credit,  and  commercial  circulars. 
Keller  sat  down  and  began  to  sign  rapidly  such  letters 
as  needed  no  examination. 

*'  Monsieur,  to  what  do  I  owe  the  honor  of  this  visit?  " 
At  these  words,  uttered  for  him  alone  by  a  voice 
which  influenced  all  Europe,  while  the  eager  hand  was 
running  over  the  paper,  the  poor  perfumer  felt  some- 
thing that  was  like  a  hot  iron  in  his  stomach.  He  as- 
sumed the  ingratiating  manner  which  for  ten  years  past 
the  banker  had  seen  all  men  put  on  when  they  wanted 
to  get  the  better  of  him  for  their  own  purposes,  and 
which  gave  him  at  once  the  advantage  over  them. 
Francois  Keller  accord ingl}'^  darted  at  Cesar  a  look 
which  shot  through  his  head,  —  a  Napoleonic  look. 
This  imitation  of  Napoleon's  glance  was  a  silly  satire, 
then  popular  with  certain  pai-venus  who  had  never 
been  so  much  as  the  base  coin  of  their  emperor.  This 
glance  fell  upon  Birotteau,  a  devotee  of  the  Right,  a 
partisan  of  the  government,  —  himself  an  element  of 
monarchical  election,  —  like  the  stamp  of  a  custom- 
house ofl3cer  affixed  to  a  bale  of  merchandise. 

"Monsieur,  I  will  not  waste  your  time;  I  will  be 
brief.  I  come  on  commercial  business  onlj'^,  —  to  ask 
if  I  can  obtain  a  credit.  I  was  formerly  a  judge  of  the 
commercial  courts,  and  known  to  the  Bank  of  France. 
You  will  easily  understand  that  if  I  had  plenty  of  ready 
money  I  need  only  apply  there,  where  j'ou  are  yourself 
a  director.  I  had  the  honor  of  sitting  on  the  Bench  of 
commerce  with  Monsieur  le  baron  Thibon,  chairman  of 
the  committee  on  discounts ;  and  he,  most  assuredly, 
would  not  refuse  me.    But  up  to  this  time  I  have  never 


GS%ar  Birotteau.  255 

made  use  of  my  credit  or  my  signature  ;  my  signature 
is  virgin,  —  and  you  know  what  diflSculties  that  puts 
in  the  waj'  of  negotiation." 

Keller  moved  his  head,  and  Birotteau  took  the  move- 
ment for  one  of  impatience. 

''Monsieur,  these  are  the  facts,"  he  resumed.  "1 
am  engaged  in  an  affair  of  landed  property,  outside  of 
my  business  —  " 

Frangois  Keller,  who  continued  to  sign  and  read  his 
documents,  without  seeming  to  listen  to  Birotteau,  here 
turned  round  and  made  him  a  little  sign  of  attention, 
which  encouraged  the  poor  man.  He  thought  the  matter 
was  taking  a  favorable  turn,  and  breathed  again. 

"  Go  on  ;  I  hear  3'ou,"  said  Keller  good-naturedly. 

"  I  have  purchased,  at  half  its  value,  certain  land 
about  the  Madeleine  —  " 

"Yes;  I  heard  Nucingen  speak  of  that  immense 
affair,  —  undertaken,  I  believe,  by  Claparon  and 
Compan3\" 

"Well,"  continued  C^sar,  "a  credit  of  a  hundred 
thousand  francs,  secured  on  my  share  of  the  purchase, 
will  suffice  to  carry  me  along  until  I  can  reap  certain 
profits  from  a  discovery*  of  mine  in  perfumer}'.  Should 
it  be  necessav}',  I  will  cover  your  risk  by  notes  on  a 
new  establishment,  —  the  firm  of  A.  Popinot  —  " 

Keller  seemed  to  care  verj'  little  about  the  firm  of 
Popinot;  and  Birotteau,  perceiving  that  he  had  made 
a  false  move,  stopped  short ;  then,  alarmed  b}'  the  si- 
lence, he  resumed,  "  As  for  the  interest,  we  —  " 

"Yes,  3"es,"  said  the  banker,  "the  matter  can  be 
an-anged ;  don't  doubt  my  desire  to  be  of  service  to 
you.     Busy  as  I  am,  —  for  I  have  the  finances  of 


256  CSsar  Birotteau. 

Europe  on  my  shoulders,  and  the  Chamber  takes  all 
my  time, — j^ou  will  not  be  surprised  to  hear  that  I 
leave  the  vast  bulk  of  our  affairs  to  the  examination  of 
others.  Go  and  see  vay  brother  Adolphe,  downstairs ; 
explain  to  him  the  nature  of  3'our  securities ;  if  he 
approves  of  the  operation,  come  back  here  with  him 
to-morrow  or  the  day  after,  at  five  in  the  morning,  — 
the  hour  at  which  I  examine  into  certain  business  mat- 
ters. We  shall  be  proud  and  happy  to  obtain  your 
confidence.  You  are  one  of  those  consistent  royalists 
with  whom,  of  course,  we  are  political  enemies,  but 
whose  good- will  is  always  flattering  —  " 

"Monsieur,"  said  Cesar,  elated  by  this  specimen  of 
tribune  eloquence,  "I  trust  I  am  as  worth}'  of  the 
honor  you  do  me  as  I  was  of  the  signal  and  royal  favor 
which  I  earned  by  my  services  on  the  Bench  of  com- 
merce, and  by  fighting  —  " 

"Yes,  yes,"  interrupted  the  banker,  "your  reputa- 
tion is  a  passport.  Monsieur  Birotteau.  You  will,  of 
course,  propose  nothing  that  is  not  feasible,  and  you 
can  depend  on  our  co-operation." 

A  lady,  Madame  Keller,  one  of  the  two  daughters  of 
the  Comte  de  Gondreville,  here  opened  a  door  which 
Birotteau  had  not  observed. 

"  I  hope  to  see  you  before  you  go  to  the  Chamber," 
she  said. 

"  It  is  two  o'clock,"  exclaimed  the  banker ;  "  the  bat- 
tle has  begun.  Excuse  me,  monsieur,  it  is  a  question 
of  upsetting  the  ministry.     See  nay  brother  —  " 

He  conducted  the  perfumer  to  the  door  of  the  salon, 
and  said  to  one  of  the  servants,  "  Show  monsieur  the 
way  to  Monsieur  Adolphe." 


(J6%ar  Birotteau.  25T 

As  C^sar  traversed  a  labjTinth  of  staircases,  under 
the  guidance  of  a  man  in  livery,  towards  an  office  far 
less  sumptuous  but  more  useful  than  that  of  the  head 
of  the  house,  feeling  himself  astride  the  gentle  steed 
of  hope,  he  stroked  his  chin,  and  augured  well  from 
the  flatteries  of  the  great  man.  He  regretted  that  an 
enemy  of  the  Bourbons  should  be  so  gracious,  so  able, 
so  fine  an  orator. 

Full  of  these  illusions  he  entered  a  cold  bare  room, 
furnished  with  two  desks  on  rollers,  some  shabby  arm- 
chairs, a  threadbare  carpet,  and  curtains  that  were 
much  neglected.  This  cabinet  was  to  that  of  the  elder 
brother  like  a  kitchen  to  a  dining-room,  or  a  work-room 
to  a  shop.  Here  were  turned  inside  out  all  matters 
touching  the  bank  and  commerce ;  here  all  enterprises 
were  sifted,  and  the  first  tithes  levied,  on  behalf  of  the 
bank,  upon  the  profits  of  industries  judged  worthy  of 
being  upheld.  Here  were  devised  those  bold  strokes 
by  which  short-lived  monopolies  were  called  into  being 
and  rapidly  sucked  dry.  Here  defects  of  legislation 
were  chronicled ;  and  bargains  driven,  without  shame, 
for  what  the  Bourse  terras  "pickings  to  be  gobbled 
up,"  commissions  exacted  for  the  smallest  services, 
such  as  lending  their  name  to  an  enterprise,  and  allow- 
ing it  credit.  Here  were  hatched  the  specious,  legal 
plots  by  which  silent  partnerships  were  taken  in  doubt- 
ful enterprises,  that  the  bank  might  lie  in  wait  for  the 
moment  of  success,  and  then  crush  them  and  seize  the 
property  by  demanding  a  return  of  the  capital  at  a  crit- 
ical moment,  —  an  infamous  trick,  which  involves  and 
ruins  many  small  shareholders. 

The  two  brothers  had  each  selected  his  appropriate 
17 


258  CSsar  Birotteau. 

part.  Upstairs,  Frangois,  the  brilliant  man  of  the 
world  and  of  politics,  assumed  a  regal  air,  bestowed 
courtesies  and  promises,  and  made  himself  agreeable  to 
all.  His  manners  were  easy  and  complying ;  he  looked 
at  business  from  a  lofty  standpoint ;  he  intoxicated  new 
recruits  and  fledgling  speculators  with  the  wine  of  his 
favor  and  his  fervid  speech,  as  he  made  plain  to  them 
their  own  ideas.  Downstairs,  Adolphe  unsaid  his 
brother's  words,  excused  him  on  the  ground  of  political 
preoccupation,  and  cleverly  slipped  the  rake  along  the 
cloth.  He  played  the  part  of  the  responsible  partner, 
the  careful  business  man.  Two  words,  two  speeches, 
two  interviews,  were  required  before  an  understanding 
could  be  reached  with  this  perfidious  house.  Often  the 
gracious  "  yes"  of  the  sumptuous  upper  floor  became  a 
dry  "  no"  in  Adolphe's  region.  This  obstructive  man- 
oeuvre gave  time  for  reflection,  and  often  served  to  fool 
unskilful  applicants.  As  Cesar  entered,  the  banker's 
brother  was  conversing  with  the  famous  Palma,  intimate 
adviser  of  the  house  of  Keller,  who  retired  on  the  ap- 
pearance of  the  perfumer.  When  Birotteau  had  ex- 
plained his  errand,  Adolphe  —  much  the  cleverest  of 
the  two  brothers,  a  thorough  lynx,  with  a  keen  eye, 
thin  lips,  and  a  dxy  skin  —  cast  at  Birotteau,  lowering 
his  head  to  look  over  his  spectacles  as  he  did  so,  a  look 
which  we  must  call  the  banker-look,  —  a  cross  between 
that  of  a  vulture  and  that  of  an  attorney ;  eager  yet 
indiflerent,  clear  yet  vague,  glittering  though  sombre. 

"  Have  the  goodness  to  send  me  the  deeds  relating 
to  the  aflair  of  the  MSdeleine,"  he  said ;  "  our  security 
in  making  you  this  credit  lies  there :  we  must  examine 
them  before  we  consent  to  make  it,  or  discuss  the  terms. 


CSsar  Birotteau.  259 

If  the  affair  is  sound,  we  shall  be  willing,  so  as  not  to 
embarrass  you,  to  take  a  share  of  the  profits  in  place 
of  receiving  a  discount." 

"Well,"  thought  Birotteau,  as  he  walked  away,  "I 
see  what  it  means.  Like  the  hunted  beaver,  I  am  to 
give  up  a  part  of  my  skin.  After  all,  it  is  better  to  be 
shorn  than  killed." 

He  went  home  smiling  gayly,  and  his  gayety  was 
genuine. 

"  I  am  saved,"  he  said  to  Cesarine.  "  I  am  to  have 
a  credit  with  the  Kellers." 


260  GSiar  Birotteau. 


III. 


It  was  not  until  the  29th  of  December  that  Birotteau 
was  allowed  to  re-enter  Adolphe's  cabinet.  The  first 
time  he  called,  Adolphe  had  gone  into  the  country  to  look 
at  a  piece  of  property  which  the  great  orator  thought  of 
buying.  The  second  time,  the  two  Kellers  were  deeply 
engaged  for  the  whole  day,  preparing  a  tender  for  a 
loan  proposed  in  the  Chamber,  and  they  begged  Mon- 
sieur Birotteau  to  return  on  the  following  Friday. 
These  delays  were  killing  to  the  poor  man.  But  Fri- 
day came  at  last.  Birotteau  found  himself  in  the  cabi- 
net, placed  in  one  corner  of  the  fireplace,  facing  the  light 
from  a  window,  with  Adolphe  Keller  opposite  to  him. 

"They  are  all  right,  monsieur,"  said  the  banker, 
pointing  to  the  deeds.  "But  what  paj-ments  have  you 
made  on  the  price  of  the  land  ?  " 

"  One  hundred  and  forty  thousand  francs.** 

"Cash?" 

"  Notes." 

"  Are  they  paid?" 

"  They  are  not  yet  due." 

"  But  supposing  3'ou  have  paid  more  than  the  present 
value  of  the  property,  where  will  be  our  security?  It 
will  rest  solely  on  the  respect  j'ou  inspire,  and  the  con- 
sideration in  which  you  are  held.  Business  is  not  con- 
ducted on  sentiment.  If  you  had  paid  two  hundred 
thousand  francs,  supposing  that  there  were  another  one 


CSsar  Birotteau.  261 

hundred  thousand  paid  down  in  advance  for  possession 
of  the  land,  we  should  then  have  the  security  of  a  hun- 
dred thousand  francs,  to  warrant  us  in  giving  you  a 
credit  of  one  hundred  thousand.  The  result  might  be 
to  make  us  owners  of  your  share  by  our  paying  for  it, 
instead  of  your  doing  so  ;  consequently  we  must  be  satis- 
fied that  the  affair  is  a  sound  one.  To  wait  five  years  to 
double  our  capital  won't  do  for  us  ;  it  is  better  to  employ 
it  in  other  ways.  There  are  so  many  chances  !  You  are 
trying  to  circulate  paper  to  pay  your  notes  when  they 
fall  due,  —  a  dangerous  game.  It  is  wiser  to  step  back 
for  a  better  leap.     The  afiair  does  not  suit  us," 

This  sentence  struck  Birotteau  as  if  the  executioner 
had  stamped  his  shoulder  with  the  marking-iron;  he 
lost  his  head. 

"Come,"  said  Adolphe,  "my  brother  feels  a  great 
interest  in  j^ou  ;  he  spoke  of  you  to  me.  Let  us  exam- 
ine into  your  affairs,"  he  added,  glancing  at  C^sar  with 
the  look  of  a  courtesan  eager  to  pay  her  rent. 

Birotteau  became  Molineux,  —  a  being  at  whom  he 
had  once  laughed  so  loftil3\  Enticed  along  by  the 
banker,  —  who  enjoyed  disentangling  the  bobbins  of  the 
poor  man's  thought,  and  who  knew  as  well  how  to  cross- 
question  a  merchant  as  Popinot  the  judge  knew  how  to 
make  a  criminal  betray  himself,  —  Cesar  recounted  all 
his  enterprises ;  he  put  forward  his  Double  Paste  of 
Sultans  and  Carminative  Balm,  the  Roguin  affair,  and 
his  lawsuit  about  the  mortgage  on  which  he  had  received 
no  money.  As  he  watched  the  smiling,  attentive  face 
of  Keller  and  the  motions  of  his  head,  Birotteau  said 
to  himself,  *'He  is  listening;  I  interest  him;  I  shall 
get  my  credit  I "      Adolphe  Keller  was  laughing  at 


262  C6%ar  Birotteau. 

C^sar,  just  as  C^sar  had  laughed  at  Molineux.  Car- 
ried away  by  the  lust  of  speech  peculiar  to  those  who 
are  made  drunk  by  misfortune,  Cesar  revealed  his 
inner  man ;  he  gave  his  measure  when  he  ended  by 
oflfering  the  security  of  Cephalic  Oil  and  the  firm  of 
Popinot, — his  last  stake.  The  worthy  man,  led  on  by 
false  hopes,  allowed  Adolphe  Keller  to  sound  and 
fathom  him,  and  he  stood  revealed  to  the  banker's  ejes 
as  a  roj-alist  jackass  on  the  point  of  failure.  Delighted 
to  foresee  the  bankruptcy  of  a  deputy-mayor  of  the  ar- 
rondissement,  an  official  just  decorated,  and  a  man  in 
power,  Keller  now  curtly  told  Birotteau  that  he  could 
neither  give  him  a  credit  nor  say  anything  in  his  fa- 
vor to  his  brother  Fran9ois.  If  Francois  gave  way  to 
idiotic  generosity,  and  helped  people  of  another  wa}'  of 
thinking  from  his  own,  men  who  were  his  political 
enemies,  he,  Adolphe,  would  oppose  with  might  and 
main  any  attempt  to  make  a  dupe  of  him,  and  would 
prevent  him  from  holding  out  a  hand  to  the  adversary 
of  Napoleon,  wounded  at  Saint-Roch.  Birotteau,  exas- 
perated, tried  to  say  something  about  the  cupidity  of 
the  great  banking-houses,  their  harshness,  their  false 
philanthropy  ;  but  he  was  seized  with  so  violent  a  pain 
that  he  could  scarcely  stammer  a  few  words  about  the 
Bank  of  France,  from  which  the  Kellers  were  allowed 
to  borrow. 

"  Yes,"  said  Adolphe  Keller ;  "  but  the  Bank  would 
never  discount  paper  which  a  private  bank  refused." 

"  The  Bank  of  France,"  said  Birotteau,  "  has  always 
seemed  to  me  to  miss  its  vocation  when  it  congratulates 
itself,  as  it  does  in  presenting  its  reports,  on  never 
losing  more  than  one  or  two  hundred  thousand  francs 


CSsar  Birotteau.  263 

through  Parisian  commerce :  it  should  be  the  guardian 
and  protector  of  Parisian  commerce." 

Adolphe  smiled,  and  got  up  with  the  air  and  gesture 
of  being  bored. 

"  If  the  Bank  were  mixed  up  as  silent  partners  with 
people  who  are  involved  in  the  most  knavish  and 
hazardous  market  in  the  world,  it  would  soon  have  to 
hand  in  its  schedule.  It  has,  even  now,  immense  dif- 
ficulty in  protecting  itself  against  forgeries  and  false 
circulations  of  all  kinds.  Where  would  it  be  if  it  had 
to  take  account  of  the  business  of  every  one  who  wanted 
to  get  something  out  of  it?  " 

"  Where  shall  I  find  ten  thousand  francs  for  to- 
morrow, the  Thirtieth  ?  "  cried  Birotteau,  as  he  crossed 
the  courtyard. 

According  to  Parisian  custom,  notes  were  paid  on 
the  thirtieth,  if  the  thirty-first  was  a  holiday. 

As  Cesar  reached  the  outer  gate,  his  eyes  bathed  in 
tears,  he  scarcely  saw  a  fine  English  horse,  covered 
with  sweat,  which  drew  the  handsomest  cabriolet  that 
rolled  in  those  days  along  the  pavements  of  Paris,  and 
which  was  now  pulled  up  suddenly  beside  him.  He 
would  gladly  have  been  run  over  and  crushed  by  it ;  if 
he  died  by  accident,  the  confusion  of  his  afiairs  would 
be  laid  to  that  circumstance.  He  did  not  recognize 
du  Tillet,  who  in  elegant  morning  dress  jumped  lightly 
down,  throwing  the  reins  to  his  groom  and  a  blanket 
over  the  back  of  his  smoking  thoroughbred. 

"What  chance  brings  you  here?"  said  the  former 
clerk  to  his  old  patron. 

Du  Tillet  knew  very  well  what  it  was,  for  the  Kellers 


264  CSsar  Birotteau. 

had  made  inquiries  of  Claparon,  who  by  referring  them 
to  dii  Tillet  had  demolished  the  past  reputation  of  the 
poor  man.  Though  quickly  checked,  the  tears  on 
Cesar's  face  spoke  volumes. 

*'  Is  it  possible  that  you  have  asked  assistance  from 
these  Bedouins?"  said  du  Tillet,  "  these  cut-throats  of 
commerce,  full  of  infamous  tricks  ;  who  run  up  indigo 
when  they  have  monopolized  the  trade,  and  pull  down 
rice  to  force  the  holders  to  sell  at  low  prices,  and  so 
enable  them  to  manage  the  market?  Atrocious  pirates, 
who  have  neither  faith,  nor  law,  nor  soul,  nor  honor ! 
You  don't  know  what  they  are  capable  of  doing.  They 
will  give  you  a  credit  if  they  think  you  have  got  a  good 
thing,  and  close  it  the  moment  you  get  into  the  thick 
of  the  enterprise  ;  and  then  you  will  be  forced  to  make 
it  all  over  to  them,  at  any  villanous  price  they  choose 
to  give.  Havre,  Bordeaux,  Marseilles,  could  tell  you 
tales  about  them !  They  make  use  of  politics  to  cover 
up  their  filthy  ways.  If  I  were  yoxi  I  should  get  what 
I  could  out  of  them  in  any  way,  and  without  scruple. 
Let  us  walk  on,  Birotteau.  Joseph,  lead  the  horse 
about,  he  is  too  hot :  the  devil !  he  is  a  capital  of  a 
thousand  crowns." 

So  saying,  he  turned  toward  the  boulevard. 

"  Come,  my  dear  master,  —  for  3'ou  were  once  my  mas- 
ter,— tell  me,  are  you  in  want  of  money?  Have  they 
asked  you  for  securities,  the  scoundrels  ?  I,  who  know 
you,  I  offer  you  money  on  your  simple  note.  I  have 
made  an  honorable  fortune  with  infinite  pains.  I  began 
it  in  Germany  ;  I  may  as  well  tell  you  that  I  bought  up 
the  debts  of  the  king,  at  sixty  per  cent  of  their  amount : 
your  indorsement  was  very  useful  to  me  at  that  time, 


Ci%ar  Birotteau.  265 

and  I  am  not  ungrateful,  —  not  I.  If  you  want  ten 
thousand  francs,  thej'  are  yours." 

"  Du  Tillet !  "  cried  Cesar,  "  can  it  be  true?  you  are 
not  joking  with  me?  Yes,  I  am  rather  pinched,  but 
only  for  a  moment." 

"  I  know,  —  that  affair  of  Roguin,"  replied  du  Tillet. 
"Hey!  I  am  in  for  ten  thousand  francs  which  the  old 
rogue  borrowed  of  me  just  before  he  went  off;  but 
Madame  Roguin  will  pay  them  back  from  her  dower. 
I  have  advised  the  poor  woman  not  to  be  so  foolish  as 
to  spend  her  own  fortune  in  paying  debts  contracted 
for  a  prostitute.  Of  course,  it  would  be  well  if  she  paid 
everything,  but  she  cannot  favor  some  creditors  to  the 
detriment  of  others.  You  are  not  a  Roguin ;  I  know 
you,"  said  du  Tillet,  —  "  j'ou  would  blow  your  brains 
out  rather  than  make  me  lose  a  sou.  Here  we  are  at 
Rue  de  la  Chaussee-d'Antin  ;  come  home  with  me." 

The  upstart  took  pleasure  in  leading  his  old  master 
through  a  gorgeous  appartement,  instead  of  entering  at 
once  b}"^  the  counting-room ;  he  led  him  slowl}'  that  he 
might  see  the  sumptuous  dining-room,  decorated  with 
pictures  bought  in  Germany,  and  the  two  salons,  of  an 
elegance  and  luxury  Birotteau  had  never  beheld  except 
in  the  mansion  of  the  Due  de  Lenoncourt.  The  eyes 
of  the  good  bourgeois  were  dazzled  by  the  gilded  walls, 
the  works  of  art,  the  precious  vases,  and  distracting 
bric-a-brac,  and  all  the  many  pretty  details  befoi'e 
which  the  luxury  of  Madame  Cesar's  appartement 
paled.  Knowing  the  cost  of  his  own  folly,  Cesar 
asked  himself,  "  "Where  did  he  get  all  these  millions?  " 

They  entered  a  bedroom,  with  which  Madame  Birot- 
teau's  compared  like  that  of  a  chorus-singer's  on  a 


266  Ciiar  Birotteau. 

fourth  floor  with  the  appartement  of  a  prima-donna. 
The  ceiling  was  of  violet-colored  satin,  heightened  in 
its  effect  by  folds  of  white  satin  ;  a  rug  of  ermine  lay  at 
the  bedside,  and  contrasted  with  the  purple  tones  of  a 
Turkish  carpet.  The  furniture  and  all  the  accessories 
were  novel  in  shape,  costly,  and  choice  in  character. 
Birotteau  paused  before  an  exquisite  clock,  decorated 
with  Cupid  and  Psyche,  just  designed  for  a  famous 
banker,  from  whom  du  Tillet  had  obtained  the  sole  copj* 
ever  made  of  it.  The  former  master  and  his  former 
clerk  at  last  reached  an  elegant  coquettish  cabinet, 
more  redolent  of  love  than  finance.  Madame  Roguin 
had  doubtless  contributed,  in  return  for  the  care  be- 
stowed upon  her  fortune,  the  paper-knife  in  chiselled 
gold,  the  paper-weights  of  carved  malachite,  and  all 
the  costly  knick-knacks  of  unrestrained  luxury-.  The 
carpet,  one  of  the  rich  products  of  Belgium,  was  as 
pleasant  to  the  eye  as  to  the  foot  which  felt  the  soft 
thickness  of  its  texture.  Du  Tillet  made  the  poor, 
amazed,  bewildered  perfumer  sit  down  at  a  corner  of 
the  fireplace. 

»'  Will  you  breakfast  with  me?" 

He  rang  the  bell.  Enter  a  footman  better  dressed 
than  Birotteau. 

"Tell  Monsieur  Legras  to  come  here,  and  then  find 
Joseph  at  the  door  of  the  Messrs.  Keller ;  tell  him  to 
return  to  the  stable.  Leave  word  with  Adolphe  Keller 
that  instead  of  going  to  see  him,  I  shall  expect  him  at 
the  Bourse  ;  and  order  breakfast  served  immediately." 

These  commands  amazed  Cesar. 

"  He  whistles  to  that  formidable  Adolphe  Keller  like 
a  dog !  —  he,  du  Tillet  I " 


Cimr  Birotteau.  267 

A  little  tiger,  about  a  thumb  high,  set  out  a  table 
which  Birotteau  had  not  observed,  so  slim  was  it,  and 
brought  in  a  pate  de  foie  gras,  a  bottle  of  claret,  and  a 
number  of  dainty  dishes  which  only  appeared  in  Birot- 
teau's  household  once  in  three  months,  on  great  festive 
occasions.  Du  Tillet  enjoj'ed  the  effect.  His  hatred 
towards  the  only  man  who  had  it  in  his  power  to  de- 
spise him  burned  so  hotly  that  Birotteau  seemed,  even 
to  his  own  mind,  lilce  a  sheep  defending  itself  against 
a  tiger.  For  an  instant  a  generous  idea  entered  du 
Tillet's  heart :  he  asked  himself  if  his  vengeance  were 
not  sufficiently  accomplished.  He  hesitated  between 
this  awakened  mercy  and  his  dormant  hate. 

"I  can  annihilate  him  commercially,"  he  thought; 
"I  have  the  power  of  life  or  death  over  him,  —  over  his 
wife  who  insulted  me,  and  his  daughter  whose  hand 
once  seemed  to  me  a  fortune.  I  have  got  his  money ; 
suppose  I  content  myself  with  letting  the  poor  fool 
swim  at  the  end  of  a  line  I'll  hold  for  him?" 

Honest  minds  are  devoid  of  tact ;  their  excellence  is 
uncalculating,  even  unreflecting,  because  they  are  wholly 
without  evasions  or  mental  reservations  of  their  own. 
Birotteau  now  brought  about  his  downfall ;  he  incensed 
the  tiger,  pierced  him  to  the  heart  without  knowing  it, 
made  him  implacable  by  a  thoughtless  word,  a  eulogy, 
a  virtuous  recognition,  —  by  the  kind-heartedness,  as  it 
were,  of  his  own  integrity.  When  the  cashier  entered, 
du  Tillet  motioned  him  to  take  notice  of  Cesar. 

"  Monsieur  Legras,  bring  me  ten  thousand  francs, 
and  a  note  of  hand  for  that  amount,  drawn  to  m^'  order, 
at  ninety  days'  sight,  by  monsieur,  who  is  Monsieur 
C^sar  Birotteau,  you  know." 


268  CSmr  Birotteau. 

Du  Tillet  cut  the  pat^,  poured  out  a  glass  of  claret, 
and  urged  C^sar  to  eat.  The  poor  man  felt  he  was 
saved,  and  gave  wa}'^  to  convulsive  laughter ;  he  played 
with  his  watch-chain,  and  only  put  a  mouthful  into  his 
mouth,  when  du  Tillet  said  to  him,  "  You  are  not  eat- 
ing ! "  Birotteau  thus  betrayed  the  depths  of  the  abj'ss 
into  which  du  Tillet's  hand  had  plunged  him,  from 
which  that  hand  now  withdrew  him,  and  into  which 
it  had  the  power  to  plunge  him  again.  When  the  cash- 
ier returned,  and  Cesar  signed  the  note,  and  felt  the  ten 
bank-notes  in  his  pocket,  he  was  no  longer  master  of 
himself.  A  moment  sooner,  and  the  Bank,  his  neighbor- 
hood, every  one,  was  about  to  know  that  he  could  not 
meet  his  payments,  and  he  must  have  told  his  ruin  to 
his  wife  ;  now,  all  was  safe  !  The  joy  of  this  deliver- 
ance equalled  in  its  intensity  the  tortures  of  his  peril. 
The  e3'es  of  the  poor  man  moistened,  in  spite  of 
himself. 

"What  is  the  matter,  my  dear  master?"  asked  du 
Tillet.  *'  Would  you  not  do  for  me  to-morrow  what  I 
do  for  you  to-day  ?  Is  it  not  as  simple  as  saying,  How 
do  you  do  ?  " 

"  Du  Tillet,"  said  the  worthy  man,  -with  gravity  and 
emphasis,  and  rising  to  take  the  hand  of  his  former 
clerk,  "I  give  yoxx  back  my  esteem." 

"  What!  had  I  lost  it?"  cried  du  Tillet,  so  vio- 
lently stabbed  in  the  very  bosom  of  his  prosperity  that 
the  color  came  into  his  face. 

"Lost?  —  well,  not  precisely,"  said  Birotteau,  thun- 
der-struck at  his  own  stupidity ;  "  they  told  me  certain 
things  about  your  liaison  with  Madame  Koguin.  The 
devil !  taking  the  wife  of  another  man  —  " 


C^iar  Birotteau.  269 

*'  You  are  beating  round  the  bush,  old  fellow," 
thought  du  Tillet,  and  as  the  words  crossed  his  mind 
he  came  back  to  his  original  project,  and  Avowed  to 
bring  that  virtue  low,  to  trample  it  under  foot,  to 
render  despicable  in  the  marts  of  Paris  the  honorable 
and  virtuous  merchant  who  had  caught  him,  red-handed, 
in  a  theft.  All  hatreds,  public  or  private,  from  woman 
to  woman,  from  man  to  man,  have  no  other  cause  than 
some  such  detection.  People  do  not  hate  each  other 
for  injured  interests,  for  wounds,  not  even  for  a  blow  ; 
all  such  wrongs  can  be  redressed.  But  to  have  been 
seized,  flagrante  delicto,  in  a  base  act !  The  duel 
which  follows  between  the  criminal  and  the  witness  of 
his  crime  ends  only  with  the  death  of  the  one  or  of  the 
other. 

"Oh!  Madame  Roguin !  "  said  du  Tillet,  jestingly, 
"  don't  you  call  that  a  feather  in  a  j'oung  man's  cap? 
I  understand  3-ou,  my  dear  master ;  somebody  has  told 
you  that  she  lent  me  money.  Well,  on  the  contrary  it 
is  I  who  have  protected  her  fortune,  which  was  strangely 
involved  in  her  husband's  affairs.  The  origin  of  my 
fortune  is  pure,  as  I  have  just  told  you.  I  had  nothing, 
you  know.  Young  men  are  sometimes  in  positions  of 
frightful  necessity.  They  ma}'  lose  their  self-control 
in  the  depths  of  povert}',  and  if  they  make,  as  the  Re- 
public made,  forced  loans  —  well,  they  pay  them  back  ; 
and  in  so  doing  they  are  more  honest  than  France 
herself." 

"  That  is  true,"  cried  Birotteau.  "  My  son,  God  — 
is  it  not  Voltaire  who  says,  — 

" '  He  rendered  repentance  the  virtue  of  mortals'  ?  '* 


270  CSsar  Birotteau. 

*'  Provided,"  answered  du  Tillet,  stabbed  afresh  by 
this  quotation,  —  "  provided  they  do  not  carr}'  off  the 
property  of  their  neighbors,  basel}^  meanlj' ;  as,  for  ex- 
ample, you  would  do  if  you  failed  within  three  months, 
and  my  ten  thousand  francs  went  to  perdition." 

"I  fail !  "  cried  Birotteau,  who  had  taken  three  glasses 
of  wine,  and  was  half-drunk  with  jo}-.  "  Everj-body 
knows  what  I  think  about  failure !  Failure  is  death  to 
a  merchant ;  I  should  die  of  it !  " 

"  I  drink  your  health,"  said  du  Tillet. 

*'  Your  health  and  prosperity,"  returned  C^sar. 
"Why  don't  3'ou  buy  your  perfumer}^  from  me?  " 

"  The  fact  is,"  said  du  Tillet,  "  I  am  afraid  of  Madame 
Cdsar ;  she  always  made  an  impression  on  me.  If  you 
had  not  been  my  master,  on  my  word !    I  —  " 

"  You  are  not  the  first  to  think  her  beautiful ;  others 
have  desired  her;  but  she  loves  me!  Well,  now,  du 
Tillet,  my  friend,"  resumed  Birotteau,  "  don't  do  things 
by  halves." 

"What  is  it?" 

Birotteau  explained  the  affair  of  the  lands  to  his 
former  clerk,  who  pretended  to  open  his  eyes  wide, 
and  complimented  the  perfumer  on  his  perspicacity  and 
penetration,  and  praised  the  enterprise. 

"  Well,  I  am  very  glad  to  have  your  approbation; 
you  are  thought  one  of  the  wise-heads  of  the  banking 
business,  du  Tillet.  Dear  fellow,  you  might  get  me  a 
credit  at  the  Bank  of  France,  so  that  I  can  wait  for  the 
profits  of  Cephalic  Oil  at  my  ease." 

"  I  can  give  you  a  letter  to  the  firm  of  Nucingen," 
answered  du  Tillet,  perceiving  that  he  could  make  his 
victim  dance  all  the  figures  in  the  reel  of  bankruptcy. 


CSmr  Birotteau.  271 

Ferdinand  sat  down  to  his  desk  and  wrote  the  follow- 
ing letter :  — 

To  Monsieur  le  haron  de  Nucingen : 

My  dear  Baron,  —  The  bearer  of  this  letter  is  Monsieur 
C^sar  Birotteau,  deputy-mayor  of  the  second  arrondissement, 
and  one  of  the  best  known  manufacturers  of  Parisian  per- 
fumery ;  he  wishes  to  have  business  relations  with  your  house. 
You  can  confidently  do  all  that  he  asks  of  you;  and  in  oblig- 
ing him  you  will  oblige 

Your  friend, 

F.    DU   TiLLET. 

Du  Tillet  did  not  dot  the  t  in  his  signature.  To  those 
with  whom  he  did  business  this  intentional  error  was  a 
sign  previously  agreed  upon.  The  strongest  recommen- 
dations, the  warmest  appeals  contained  in  the  letter 
were  to  mean  nothing.  All  such  letters,  in  which  ex- 
clamation marks  were  suppliants  and  du  Tillet  placed 
himself,  as  it  were,  upon  his  knees,  were  to  be  consid- 
ered as  extorted  by  necessity ;  he  could  not  refuse  to 
write  them,  but  they  were  to  be  regarded  as  not  written. 
Seeing  the  i  without  a  dot,  the  correspondent  was  to 
amuse  the  petitioner  with  empty  promises.  Even  men 
of  the  world,  and  sometimes  the  most  distinguished, 
are  thus  gulled  like  children  by  business  men,  bankers, 
and  lawyers,  who  all  have  a  double  signature,  —  one 
dead,  the  other  living.  The  cleverest  among  them  are 
fooled  in  this  way.  To  understand  the  trick,  we  must 
experience  the  two-fold  effects  of  a  warm  letter  and 
a  cold  one. 

"  You  have  saved  me,  du  Tillet !  "  said  Cesar,  read- 
ing the  letter. 

*' Thank  heaven  I"  said  du  Tillet,  *' ask  for  what 


272  Cimr  Birotteau. 

money  you  want.  When  Nuciugen  reads  my  letter  he 
will  give  you  all  you  need.  Unhappily,  my  own  funds 
are  tied  up  for  a  few  days  ;  if  not,  I  certainly  would  not 
send  you  to  the  great  banking  princes.  The  Kellers  are 
mere  pygmies  compared  with  Baron  de  Nucingen.  Law 
reappears  on  earth  in  Nucingen.  With  this  letter  of 
mine  you  can  face  the  15th  of  January,  and  after  that, 
we  will  see  about  it.  Nucingen  and  I  are  the  best 
friends  in  the  world  ;  he  would  not  disoblige  me  for  a 
million." 

"It  is  a  guarantee  in  itself,"  thought  Birotteau,  as 
he  went  away  full  of  gratitude  to  his  old  clerk.  "  Well, 
a  benefit  is  never  lost !  "  he  continued,  philosophizing 
very  wide  of  the  mark.  Nevertheless,  one  thought 
embittered  his  joy.  For  several  days  he  had  prevented 
his  wife  from  looking  into  the  ledgers  ;  he  put  the  busi- 
ness on  Celestin's  shoulders  and  assisted  in  it  himself; 
he  wished,  apparently,  that  his  wife  and  daughter 
should  be  at  liberty  to  take  full  enjoyment  out  of  the 
beautiful  appartement  he  had  given  them.  But  the 
first  flush  of  happiness  over,  Madame  Birotteau  would 
have  died  rather  than  renounce  her  right  of  personally 
inspecting  the  affairs  of  the  house,  —  of  holding,  as  she 
phrased  it,  the  handle  of  the  frying-pan.  Birotteau 
was  at  his  wits'  end ;  he  had  used  all  his  cunning  in 
trying  to  hide  from  his  wife  tlie  symptoms  of  his  embar- 
rassment. Constance  strongly  disapproved  of  sending 
round  the  bills  ;  she  had  scolded  the  clerks  and  accused 
Celestin  of  wishing  to  ruin  the  establishment,  thinking 
that  it  was  all  his  doing.  Celestin,  by  Birotteau's  order, 
had  allowed  himself  to  be  scolded.  In  the  ej-es  of  the 
clerks  Madame  Cesar  governed  her  husband ;  for  though 


CSsar  Birotteau.  273 

it  is  possible  to  deceive  the  public,  the  inmates  of  a 
household  are  never  deceived  as  to  who  exercises  the 
real  authority.  Birotteau  knew  that  he  must  now  re- 
veal his  real  situation  to  his  wife,  for  the  account  with 
du  Tillet  needed  an  explanation.  When  he  got  back  to 
the  shop,  he  saw,  not  without  a  shudder,  that  Constance 
was  sitting  in  her  old  place  behind  the  counter,  examin- 
ing the  expense  account,  and  no  doubt  counting  up  the 
money  in  the  desk. 

"How  will  3'ou  meet  your  payments  to-morrow?" 
she  whispered  as  he  sat  down  beside  her. 

"With  money,"  he  answered,  pulling  out  the  bank- 
bills,  and  signing  to  Celestin  to  take  them. 

"  Where  did  you  get  that  money?" 

"I'll  tell  you  all  about  it  this  evening.  Celestin, 
write  down,  '  Last  of  March,  note  for  ten  thousand 
francs,  to  du  Tillet's  order.'  " 

"  Du  Tillet !  "  repeated  Constance,  struck  with  con- 
sternation. 

"  I  am  going  to  see  Popinot,"  said  Cesar ;  "  it  is  very 
wrong  in  me  not  to  have  gone  before.  Have  we  sold 
his  oil?" 

"  The  three  hundred  bottles  he  sent  us  are  all  gone." 

"Birotteau,  don't  go  out;  I  want  to  speak  to  3'ou," 
said  Constance,  taking  him  by  the  arm,  and  leading  him 
into  her  bedroom  with  an  impetuosity  which  would  have 
caused  a  laugh  under  other  circumstances.  "Du 
Tillet,"  she  said,  when  she  had  made  sure  no  one  but 
C^sarine  was  with  them,  —  "  du  Tillet,  who  robbed  us 
of  three  thousand  francs !  So  j'ou  are  doing  business 
with  du  Tillet,  —  a  monster,  who  wished  to  seduce  me," 
she  whispered  in  his  ear. 

18 


274  C6»ar  Birotteau. 

'♦  Folly  of  youth,"  said  Birotteau,  assuming  for  the 
nonce  the  tone  of  a  free-thinker. 

"Listen  to  me,  Birotteau!  You  are  all  upset;  you 
don't  go  to  the  manufactory  any  more ;  there  is  some- 
thing the  matter,  I  feel  it !  You  must  tell  me ;  I  must 
know  what  it  is." 

"  Well,"  said  Birotteau,  "  we  came  very  near  being 
ruined, — we  were  ruined  this  very  morning;  but  it  is 
all  safe  now." 

And  he  told  the  horrible  story  of  his  two  weeks' 
miser3^ 

"  So  that  was  the  cause  of  your  illness !  "  exclaimed 
Constance. 

"  Yes,  mamma,"  cried  Cesarine,  "  and  papa  has  been 
so  courageous  !  All  that  I  desire  in  life  is  to  be  loved 
as  he  loves  you.     He  has  thought  only  of  your  grief." 

"My  dream  is  fulfilled!"  said  the  poor  woman, 
dropping  upon  the  sofa  at  the  corner  of  the  fireplace, 
pale,  livid,  terrified.  "  I  foresaw  it  all.  I  warned  you 
on  that  fatal  night,  in  our  old  room  which  you  pulled 
to  pieces,  that  we  should  have  nothing  left  but  our  eyes 
to  weep  with.     My  poor  Cesarine,  I  —  " 

"  Now,  there  you  go  !  "  cried  C^sar  ;  "  you  will  take 
away  from  me  the  courage  I  need." 

"  Forgive  me,  dear  friend,"  said  Constance,  taking 
his  hand,  and  pressing  it  with  a  tenderness  which  went 
to  the  heart  of  the  poor  man.  "I  do  wrong.  Mis- 
fortune has  come ;  I  will  be  silent,  resigned,  strong 
to  bear  it.  No,  you  shall  never  hear  a  complaint 
from  me."  She  threw  herself  into  his  arms,  weeping, 
and  whispering,  "Courage,  dear  friend,  courage  I  I 
will  have  courage  for  both,  if  necessary." 


CS%ar  Birotteau.  2i75i 

•*  My  oil,  wife,  —  my  oil  will  save  us  I  *' 

"  May  God  help  us  !  "  said  Constance. 

*'  Anselme  will  help  my  father,"  said  C^sarine. 

"  I'll  go  and  see  him,"  cried  C^sar,  deeply  moved  by 
the  passionate  accents  of  his  wife,  who  after  nineteen 
years  of  married  life  was  not  yet  fully  known  to  him. 
"  Constance,  fear  nothing !  Here,  read  du  Tillet's 
letter  to  Monsieur  de  Nucingen  ;  we  are  sure  to  obtain 
a  credit.  Besides,"  he  said,  allowing  himself  a  neces- 
sary lie,  "  there  is  our  uncle  Pillerault;  that  is  enough 
to  give  us  courage." 

"  If  that  were  all !  "  said  Constance,  smiling. 

Birotteau,  relieved  of  a  heavy  weight,  walked  away 
like  a  man  suddenly  set  at  liberty,  though  he  felt  within 
him  that  indefinable  sinking  which  succeeds  great  moral 
struggles  in  which  more  of  the  nervous  fluid,  more  of 
the  will  is  emitted  than  should  be  spent  at  one  time,  and 
by  which,  if  we  may  say  so,  the  capital  of  the  existence 
is  drawn  upon.     Birotteau  had  aged  already. 

The  house  of  A.  Popinot,  Rue  des  Cinq-Diamants, 
had  undergone  a  great  change  in  two  months.  The  shop 
was  repainted.  The  shelves,  re-varnished  and  gilded  and 
crowded  with  bottles,  rejoiced  the  e^-e  of  those  who  had 
eyes  to  see  the  symptoms  of  prosperity.  The  floors 
were  littered  with  packages  and  wrapping-paper.  The 
storerooms  held  small  casks  of  vai-ious  oils,  obtained 
for  Popinot  on  commission  by  the  devoted  Gaudissart. 
The  ledgers,  the  accounts,  and  the  desks  were  moved 
into  the  rooms  above  the  shop  and  the  back-shop.  An 
old  cook  did  all  the  household  work  for  the  master  and 
his  three  clerks.     Popinot,  penned  up  in  a  corner  of 


276  CSsar  Birotteau. 

the  shop  closed  in  with  glass,  might  be  seen  in  a  serge 
apron  and  long  sleeves  of  green  linen,  with  a  pen  be- 
hind his  ear,  in  the  midst  of  a  mass  of  papers,  where 
in  fact  Birotteau  now  found  him,  as  he  was  overhauling 
his  letters  full  of  proposals  and  checks  and  orders.  At 
the  words  "  Hey,  my  boy!"  uttered  by  his  old  master, 
Popinot  raised  his  head,  locked  up  his  cubby-hole,  and 
came  forward  with  a  joyous  air  and  the  end  of  his  nose 
a  little  red.  There  was  no  fire  in  the  shop,  and  the  door 
was  alwa3"s  open. 

"  I  feared  you  were  never  coming,"  he  said  respect- 
fully. 

The  clerks  crowded  round  to  look  at  the  distinguished 
perfumer,  the  decorated  deputj^-major,  the  partner  of 
their  own  master.  Birotteau,  so  pitifullj^  small  at  the 
Kellers,  felt  a  craving  to  imitate  those  magnates ;  he 
stroked  his  chin,  rose  on  his  heels  with  native  self- 
complacency,  and  talked  his  usual  platitudes. 

"Hey,  my  lad!  we  get  up  early,  don't  we?"  he 
remarked. 

"  No,  for  we  don't  always  go  to  bed,"  said  Popinot. 
"  We  must  clutch  success." 

"What  did  I  tell  you?  My  oil  will  make  your  for- 
tune ! " 

"  Yes,  monsieur.  But  the  means  employed  to  sell  it 
count  for  something.     I  have  set  j'our  diamond  well." 

"  How  do  we  stand?  "  said  Cesar.  "  How  far  have 
you  got  ?    What  are  the  profits  ?  " 

"Profits  !  at  the  end  of  two  months  !  How  can  you 
expect  it?  Friend  Gaudissart  has  only  been  on  the 
road  for  twenty -five  days ;  he  took  a  post-chaise  without 
sajang  a  word  to  me.     Oh,  he  is  devoted !     We  owe  a 


CSsar  Birotteau.  277 

great  deal  to  my  uncle.  The  newspapers  alone  (here 
he  whispered  in  Birotteau's  ear)  will  cost  us  twelve 
thousand  francs." 

"  Newspapers  !  "  exclaimed  the  deputy-mayor. 

*'  Have  n't  you  read  them? " 

"  No." 

"  Then  you  know  nothing,"  said  Popinot.  "Twenty 
thousand  francs  worth  of  placards,  gilt  frames,  copies 
of  the  prospectus.  One  hundred  thousand  bottles 
bought.  Ah,  it  is  all  paying  through  the  nose  at  this 
moment !  We  are  manufacturing  on  a  grand  scale. 
If  you  had  set  foot  in  the  faubourg,  where  I  often  work 
all  night,  you  would  have  seen  a  little  nut-cracker  which 
is  n't  to  be  sneezed  at,  I  can  tell  you.  On  my  own  ac- 
count, I  have  made,  in  the  last  five  days,  not  less  than 
ten  thousand  francs,  merely  by  commissions  on  the  sale 
of  druggists'  oils." 

"What  a  capable  head ! "  said  Birotteau,  laying  his 
hand  on  little  Popinot's  thick  hair  and  rubbing  it  about 
as  if  he  were  a  babj'.     "  I  found  it  out."    . 

Several  persons  here  came  in. 

"  On  Sunday  we  dine  at  your  aunt  Eagon's,"  added 
C^sar,  leaving  Popinot  to  go  on  with  his  business,  for 
he  perceived  that  the  fresh  meat  he  had  come  to  taste 
was  not  yet  cut  up. 

"It  is  amazing!  A  clerk  becomes  a  merchant  in 
twenty-four  hours,"  thought  Birotteau,  who  understood 
the  happiness  and  self-assurance  of  Anselme  as  little  as 
the  dandy  luxury  of  du  Tillet.  "Anselme  put  on  a 
little  stiff  air  when  I  patted  him  on  the  head,  just  as  if 
he  were  Francois  Keller  himself." 

Birotteau  never  once  reflected  that  the  clerks  were 


278  G6mr  Birotteau. 

looking  on,  and  that  the  master  of  the  establishment 
had  his  dignity  to  preserve.  In  this  instance,  as  in  the 
case  of  his  speech  to  du  Tillet,  the  worthy  soul  com- 
mitted a  folly  out  of  pure  goodness  of  heart,  and  for 
lack  of  knowing  how  to  withhold  an  honest  sentiment 
vulgarly  expressed.  By  this  trifling  act  Cesar  would 
have  wounded  irretrievably  any  other  man  than  little 
Popinot. 

The  Sunday  dinner  at  the  Ragon's  was  destined  to  be 
the  last  pleasure  of  the  nineteen  happy  years  of  the 
Birotteau  household,  —  years  of  happiness  that  were 
full  to  overflowing.  Ragon  lived  in  the  Rue  du  Petit- 
Bourbon-Saint-Sulpice,  on  the  second  floor  of  a  digni- 
fied old  house,  in  an  appartement  decorated  with  large 
panels  where  painted  shepherdesses  danced  in  panniers, 
before  whom  fed  the  sheep  of  our  nineteenth  century, 
the  sober  and  serious  bourgeoisie,  —  whose  comical  de- 
meanor, with  their  respectful  notions  about  the  nobility, 
and  their  devotion  to  the  Sovereign  and  the  Church, 
were  all  admirably  represented  by  Ragon  himself.  The 
furniture,  the  clocks,  linen,  dinner-service,  all  seemed 
patriarchal ;  novel  in  form  because  of  their  very  age. 
The  salon,  hung  with  old  damask  and  draped  with  cur- 
tains in  brocatelle,  contained  portraits  of  duchesses  and 
other  royalist  tributes ;  also  a  superb  Popinot,  sheriflf  of 
Sancerre,  painted  hy  Latour,  —  the  father  of  Madame 
Ragon,  a  worthy,  excellent  man,  in  a  picture  out  of 
which  he  smiled  like  a  parvenu  in  all  his  glory.  When 
at  home,  Madame  Ragon  completed  her  natural  self 
with  a  little  King  Charles  spaniel,  which  presented  a 
surprisingly  harmonious  eflTect  as  it  lay  on  the  hard 


CSsar  Birotteau.  279 

little  sofa,  rococo  in  shape,  that  assuredly  never  played 
the  part  assigned  to  the  sofa  of  Crebillon. 

Among  their  many  virtues,  the  Eagons  were  noted 
for  the  possession  of  old  wines  which  had  come  to  per- 
fect mellowness,  and  for  ceilain  of  Madame  Anfoux's 
liqueurs,  which  certain  persons,  obstinately  (though  it 
was  said  hopelessly)  bent  on  making  love  to  Madame 
Ragon,  had  brought  her  from  the  West  Indies.  Thus 
their  Uttle  dinners  were  much  prized.  Jeannette,  the  old 
cook,  took  care  of  the  aged  couple  with  blind  devotion : 
she  would  have  stolen  the  fruit  to  make  their  sweet- 
meats. Instead  of  taking  her  money  to  the  savings- 
bank,  she  put  it  judiciously  into  lotteries,  hoping  that 
some  day  she  could  bestow  a  good  round  sum  on  her 
master  and  mistress.  On  the  appointed  Sundays  when 
they  received  their  guests,  she  was,  despite  her  years, 
active  in  the  kitchen  to  superintend  the  dishes,  which 
she  served  at  the  table  with  an  agility  that  (to  use  a 
favorite  expression  of  the  worthy  Ragon)  might  have 
given  points  to  Mademoiselle  Contat  when  she  played 
Susanne  in  the  "  Mariage  de  Figaro." 

The  guests  on  this  occasion  were  Popinot  the  judge, 
Pillerault,  Anselme,  the  three  Birotteaus,  three  Mati- 
fats,  and  the  Abbe  Loraux.  Madame  Matifat,  whom 
we  lately  met  crowned  with  a  turban  for  the  ball,  now 
wore  a  gown  of  blue  velvet,  with  coarse  cotton  stock- 
ings, leather  shoes,  gloves  of  chamois-skin  with  a 
border  of  green  plush,  and  a  bonnet  lined  with  pink, 
filled  in  with  white  puffs  about  the  face.  These  ten 
personages  assembled  at  five  o'clock.  The  old  Ragons 
always  requested  their  guests  to  be  punctual.  When 
this  worthy  couple  were  invited  out,  their  hosts  always 


280  C^»ar  Birotteau. 

put  the  dinner  at  the  same  hour,  remembering  that 
stomachs  which  were  sixty-five  years  old  could  not 
adapt  themselves  to  the  novel  hours  recently  adopted 
in  the  great  world. 

Cesarine  was  sure  that  Madame  Ragon  would  place 
her  beside  Anselme ;  for  all  women,  be  they  fools  or 
saints,  know  what  is  what  in  love.  The  daughter  of 
"  The  Queen  of  Roses  "  therefore  dressed  with  the  inten- 
tion of  turning  Popinot's  head.  Her  mother  —  having 
renounced,  not  without  pain,  the  thought  of  marrying 
her  to  Crottat,  who  to  her  eyes  played  the  part  of  heir- 
apparent —  assisted,  with  some  bitter  thoughts,  at  the 
toilet.  Maternal  forethought  lowered  the  modest  gauzy 
neckerchief  to  show  a  little  of  C^sarine's  shoulders  and 
the  spring  of  her  graceful  throat,  which  was  remark- 
ably elegant.  The  Grecian  bodice,  crossed  from  left 
to  right  with  five  folds,  opened  slightly,  showing  deli- 
cious curves ;  the  gray  merino  dress  with  green  furbe- 
lows defined  the  pretty  waist,  which  had  never  looked 
so  slender  nor  so  supple.  She  wore  earrings  of  gold 
fret-work,  and  her  hair,  gathered  up  a  la  chinoise,  let 
the  eye  take  in  the  soft  freshness  of  a  skin  traced  with 
blue  veins,  where  the  Ught  shone  chastely  on  the  pure 
white  tones.  Cesarine  was  so  coquettishly  lovely  that 
Madame  Matifat  could  not  help  admitting  it,  without, 
however,  perceiving  that  mother  and  daughter  had  the 
one  purpose  of  bewitching  Anselme. 

Neither  Birotteau,  his  wife,  Madame  Matifat  nor  any 
of  the  others  disturbed  the  sweet  converse  which  the 
young  people,  thrilling  with  love,  held  in  whispering 
voices  within  the  embrasure  of  a  window,  through  whose 
chinks  the  north  wind  blew  its  chilly  whistle.     The  con- 


CSsar  Birotteau.  281 

versation  of  the  elders  became  animated  when  Popinot 
the  judge  let  fall  a  word  about  Roguin's  flight,  remarking 
that  he  was  the  second  notary  who  had  absconded,  —  a 
crime  formerly  unknown.  Madame  Ragon,  at  the  word 
Roguin,  touched  her  brother's  foot,  Pillerault  spoke 
loudlj'  to  drown  his  voice,  and  both  made  him  a  sign  to 
remember  Madame  Birotteau. 

"  I  know  all,"  said  Constance  in  a  low,  pained  voice. 

"  Well,  then,"  said  Madame  Matifat  to  Birotteau,  who 
humbly  bowed  his  head,  "  how  much  did  he  carry  off? 
If  we  are  to  believe  the  gossips,  you  are  ruined." 

"  He  had  two  hundred  thousand  francs  of  mine," 
said  Cesar.  "As  to  the  forty  thousand  he  pretended 
to  make  me  borrow  from  one  of  his  clients,  whose 
property  he  had  already  squandered,  I  am  now  bringing 
a  suit  to  recover  them." 

"The  case  will  be  decided  this  week,"  said  Popinot. 
"  I  thought  you  would  not  be  unwilling  that  I  should 
explain  your  situation  to  Monsieur  le  president ;  he  has 
ordered  that  all  Roguin's  papers  be  submitted  to  the 
custody  of  the  court,  so  as  to  ascertain  the  exact  time 
when  Roguin  made  away  with  the  funds  of  his  client, 
and  thus  verify  the  facts  alleged  by  Derville,  who  made 
the  argument  himself  to  save  you  the  expense." 

"  Shall  we  win?  "  asked  Madame  Birotteau. 

"I  don't  know,"  answered  Popinot.  "Though  I 
belong  to  the  court  in  which  the  suit  is  brought,  I  shall 
abstain  from  giving  an  opinion,  even  if  called  upon." 

"  Can  there  be  any  doubt  in  such  a  simple  case?" 
said  Pillerault.  "  Such  deeds  make  mention  that  pay- 
ment has  been  made,  and  notaries  are  obliged  to  declare 
that  they  have  seen  the  monej'  passed  from  the  lender 


282  CSsar  Birotteau. 

to  the  borrower.  Roguin  would  be  sent  to  the  galleys 
if  the  law  could  get  hold  of  him." 

"  According  to  my  idea,"  said  the  judge,  "  the  lender 
ought  to  have  sued  Roguin  for  the  costs  and  the 
caution-money  ;  but  it  sometimes  happens  at  the  Cour 
Roj'ale  that  in  matters  even  more  plain  than  this  the 
judges  stand  six  against  six." 

"Mademoiselle,  what  are  they  sajing?  Has  Mon- 
sieur Roguin  absconded?"  said  Anselme,  hearing  at 
last  what  was  going  on  about  him.  "  Monsieur  said 
nothing  of  it  to  me,  —  to  me  who  would  shed  my  blood 
for  him  — " 

Cesarine  fully  understood  that  the  whole  family 
were  included  in  the  "  for  him  ; "  for  if  the  innocent  girl 
could  mistake  the  accent,  she  could  not  misunderstand 
the  glance,  which  wrapped  her,  as  it  were,  in  a  rosy 
flame. 

"  I  know  you  would ;  I  told  him  so.  He  hid  every- 
thing from  my  mother,  and  confided  only  in  me." 

"You  spoke  to  him  of  me?"  said  Popinot;  "you 
have  read  my  heart?  Have  you  read  all  that  is  there?  " 

"Perhaps." 

"  I  am  very  happy,"  said  Popinot.  "If  you  would 
lighten  all  my  fears  —  in  a  year  I  shall  be  so  prosper- 
ous that  your  father  cannot  object  when  I  speak  to  him 
of  our  marriage.  From  henceforth  I  will  sleep  only  five 
hours  a  night." 

"  Do  not  injure  yourself,"  said  Cesarine,  with  an  in- 
expressible accent  and  a  look  in  which  Popinot  was 
suffered  to  read  her  thoughts. 

"  Wife,"  said  Cdsar,  as  they  rose  from  table,  "  I 
think  those  young  people  love  each  other." 


Ci%ar  Birotteau.  283 

"Well,  BO  much  the  better,"  said  Constance,  in  a 
grave  voice  ;  ' '  my  daughter  will  be  the  wife  of  a  man 
of  sense  and  energy.  Talent  is  the  best  dower  a  man 
can  offer." 

She  left  the  room  hastily  and  went  to  Madame 
Ragon's  bedchamber.  Cesar  during  the  dinner  had 
made  various  fatuous  remarks,  which  caused  the  judge 
and  Pillerault  to  smile,  and  reminded  the  unhappy  wo- 
man of  how  unfitted  her  poor  husband  was  to  grapple 
with  misfortune.  Her  heart  was  full  of  tears  ;  and  she 
instinctively  dreaded  du  Tillet,  for  every  mother  knows 
the  Timeo  Danaos  et  dona  ferentes^  even  if  she  does 
not  know  Latin.  Constance  wept  in  the  arms  of  Madame 
Ragon  and  her  daughter,  though  she  would  not  tell  them 
the  cause  of  her  distress. 

"  I  am  nervous,"  she  said. 

The  rest  of  the  evening  was  spent  by  the  elders  at  the 
card-table,  and  by  the  j'oung  people  in  those  little  games 
called  innocent  because  they  cover  the  innocent  by- play 
of  bourgeois  love.    The  Matifats  joined  in  these  games. 

"Cesar,"  said  Constance  as  they  drove  home,  "go 
and  see  Monsieur  le  Baron  de  Nucingen  on  the  8th  so  as 
to  be  sure  of  having  your  payments  ready  in  advance  of 
the  15th.  If  there  should  be  any  hitch,  how  could  j^ou 
scrape  the  money  together  if  you  have  only  one  day  to 
do  it  in?" 

"  1  will  see  to  it,  wife,"  said  C^sar,  pressing  his  wife's 
hand  and  his  daughter's,  adding,  "Ah,  mj-  dear  white 
lambs,  I  have  given  you  a  sad  New  Year's  gift !  " 

The  two  women,  unable  to  see  him  in  the  obscurity 
of  the  hackney  coach,  felt  his  tears  falling  hot  upon 
their  hands. 


284  CSsar  Birotteau. 

"  Be  hopeful,  dear  friend,"  said  Constance. 

"  All  will  go  well,  papa ;  Monsieur  Anselme  Popinot 
told  me  he  would  shed  his  blood  for  you." 

"  For  me? "  said  Cesar,  trying  to  speak  gayly ;  "  and 
for  the  family  as  well.    Is  n't  it  so?  " 

Cesarine  pressed  her  father's  hand,  as  if  to  let  him 
know  she  was  betrothed  to  Anselme. 


Ciiar  Birotteau.  285 


IV. 

During  the  first  three  days  of  the  year,  two  hundred 
visiting  cards  were  sent  to  Birotteau.  This  rush  of  fic- 
titious friendship,  these  empty  testimonials  of  favor,  are 
horrible  to  those  who  feel  themselves  drawn  down  into 
the  vortex  of  misfortune.  Birotteau  presented  himself 
three  times  at  the  hotel  of  the  famous  banker,  the  Baron 
de  Nucingen,  but  in  vain.  The  opening  of  the  year 
with  all  its  festivities  sufficiently  explained  tbe  absence 
of  the  financier.  On  the  last  occasion  Birotteau  got  as 
far  as  the  office  of  the  banker,  where  the  head-clerk,  a 
German,  told  him  that  Monsieur  de  Nucingen  had  re- 
turned at  five  in  the  morning  from  a  ball  at  the  Kellers', 
and  would  not  be  visible  until  half-past  nine  o'clock. 
Birotteau  had  the  luck  to  interest  this  man  in  his  affairs, 
and  remained  talking  with  him  more  than  half  an  hour. 
In  the  course  of  the  afternoon  this  prime  minister  of  the 
house  of  Nucingen  wrote  Birotteau  that  the  baron  would 
receive  hira  the  next  day,  13th,  at  noon.  Though  every 
hour  brought  its  drop  of  absinthe,  the  day  went  by  with 
frightful  rapidity.  C^sar  took  a  hackney  coach,  but 
stopped  it  several  paces  distant  from  the  hotel,  whose 
courtjard  was  crowded  with  carriages.  The  poor  man's 
heart  sank  within  him  when  he  saw  the  splendors  of 
that  noted  house. 

"And  yet  he  has  failed  twice,"  he  said  to  himself  as 
he  went  up  a  superb  staircase  banked  with  fiowers,  and 


286  Ci%ar  Birotteau. 

crossed  the  sumptuous  rooms  which  helped  to  make 
Madame  Delphine  de  Nucingen  famous  in  the  Chauss^e 
d'Antin.  The  baronne's  ambition  was  to  rival  the 
great  ladies  of  the  Faubourg  Saint-Germain,  to  whose 
houses  she  was  not  as  yet  admitted.  The  baron  was 
breakfasting  with  his  wife.  In  spite  of  the  crowd  which 
was  waiting  for  him  in  the  counting-room,  he  had  left 
word  that  any  friend  of  du  Tillet  was  to  be  admitted. 
Birotteau  trembled  with  hope  as  he  noticed  the  change 
which  the  baron's  order  had  wrought  in  the  hitherto 
insolent  manner  of  the  footman. 

"  Bardon  me,  my  tear,"  said  the  baron  to  his  wife,  in 
a  strong  German  accent,  as  he  rose  and  nodded  to  Bi- 
rotteau, "  monsieur  is  a  goot  roj'alist,  and  der  intimate 
frient  of  tu  Tillet.  Bezides,  monsieur  is  debudy-mayor 
of  der  zecond  arrondissement,  and  gifs  palls  of  Aziatigue 
magnifissence ;  so  vill  3'ou  mak  his  acquentence  mit 
blaysure." 

"  I  should  be  delighted  to  take  lessons  from  Madame 
Birotteau,  for  Ferdinand  —  " 

"  She  calls  him  Ferdinand  ! "  thought  C^sar. 

—  "  spoke  of  the  ball  with  great  admiration,  which 
is  all  the  more  valuable  because  he  usually  admires 
nothing.  Ferdinand  is  a  harsh  critic ;  in  his  eyes 
everything  ought  to  be  perfect.  Shall  jou  soon  give 
another  ball?"  she  inquired  affably. 

"  Madame,  poor  people,  such  as  we  are,  seldom  have 
many  amusements  of  that  kind,"  said  the  perfumer,  not 
knowing  whether  she  meant  to  ridicule  him,  or  was 
merely  paying  an  empty  compliment. 

"  Monsieur  Grindot  suberintented  der  resdoration  of 
your  abbartement,  I  zink  ?  "  said  the  baron. 


CSsar  Birotteau.  287 

"Ah,  Grindot!  that  nice  little  architect  who  has 
just  returned  from  Rome,"  said  Delphine  de  Nucingen. 
"  I  dote  on  him ;  he  makes  delicious  drawings  in  my 
album." 

No  culprit  enduring  the  torments  of  hell  in  Venetian 
dungeons  ever  suffered  more  from  the  torture  of  the 
boot  than  Birotteau  did,  standing  there  in  his  ordinary 
clothes.     He  felt  a  sneer  in  every  word. 

"  Vill  you  gif Oder  little  palls? "  said  the  banker,  with 
a  searching  look  at  the  perfumer.  "  You  see  all  der 
vorld  ist  inderesded." 

"  Will  Monsieur  Birotteau  breakfast  with  us,  without 
ceremony?"  said  Delphine,  motioning  towards  the  table 
which  was  sumptuously  served. 

"  Madame  la  baronne,  I  came  on  business,  and  I  am — " 

"Yes,  matame,  vill  you  hermit  us  to  speak  of  busi- 


ness 


?» 


Delphine  made  a  little  sign  of  assent,  saj'ing  to  her 
husband,  "Are  you  going  to  buy  perfumerj"- ? "  The 
baron  shrugged  his  shoulders  and  turned  to  Cesar,  who 
trembled  with  anxiety. 

"  Tu  Tillet  takes  der  graadest  inderest  in  you,"  he 
said. 

"  At  last,"  thought  the  poor  man,  "  we  are  coming  to 
the  point." 

"  His  ledder  gif  you  in  my  house  a  creydit  vich  is 
only  limided  by  der  liraids  of  my  privade  fortune." 

The  exhilarating  balm  infused  into  the  water  offered 
by  the  angel  to  Hagar  in  the  desert,  must  have  been  the 
same  cordial  which  flowed  through  Cesar's  veins  as  he 
listened  to  these  words.  The  wily  banker  retained  the 
horrible  pronunciation  of  the  German  Jews,  —  possibly 


288  CSmr  Birotteau. 

that  he  might  be  able  to  deny  promises  actually  given, 
but  only  half-understood. 

"  You  shall  haf  a  running  aggont.  Ve  vill  broceed  in 
dis  vay  — "  said  this  great  and  good  and  venerable 
financier,  with  Alsatian  good-humor. 

Birotteau  doubted  no  longer ;  he  was  a  merchant, 
and  knew  very  well  that  those  who  have  no  intention 
of  rendering  a  service  never  enter  into  the  details  of 
executing  it. 

"  I  neet  not  tell  you  dat  der  Bank  demands  of  all, 
graat  and  small  alaike,  dree  zignatures.  So  denn,  you 
traw  a  cheque  to  die  order  of  our  frient  tu  Tillet,  and  I 
vill  sent  it,  same  taj',  to  der  Bank  mit  mein  zignature  ; 
so  shall  you  haf,  at  four  o'clock,  der  amount  of  die 
cheque  you  trew  in  der  morning ;  and  at  der  costs  of  die 
Bank.  I  vill  not  receif  a  commission,  no !  I  vill  haf 
only  der  blaysure  to  be  agreeaple  to  j^ou.  But  I  mak 
one  condeetion,"  he  added,  lading  his  left  finger  lightly 
on  his  nose  with  an  inimitably  sly  gesture. 

"  Monsieur  le  baron,  it  is  granted  on  the  spot,"  said 
Birotteau,  who  thought  it  concerned  some  tithe  to  be 
levied  on  his  profits. 

"  A  condeetion  to  vich  I  attache  der  graatest  imbor- 
tance,  because  I  vish  Matame  de  Nucingen  should  re- 
ceif, as  she  say,  zom  lessons  from  Matame  Pirodot." 

"Monsieur  le  baron!  pray  do  not  laugh  at  me,  I 
entreat  you." 

"  Monsieur  Pir6d6t,"  said  the  financier,  with  a  serious 
air,  "it  is  denn  agreet;  you  vill  invite  us  to  your  nex 
pall?  My  vife  is  shalous ;  she  vish  to  see  your  abbarte- 
ment,  of  vich  she  hear  so  mooch." 

"  Monsieur  le  baron !  — " 


CSsar  Birotteau.  289 

"  Oh !  if  you  reffuse  me,  no  creydit !  Yes,  I  know 
der  Prayfic  of  die  Seine  was  at  your  las  pall." 

"  Monsieur  le  baron !  — " 

"You  had  Pillartiere,  shentelman  of  der  betcham- 
ber ;  goot  royalist  like  you,  who  vas  vounded  at  Zaint- 
Roqque  —  " 

*'  On  the  13th  Vend^miaire,  Monsieur  le  baron." 

*'  Denn  you  hat  Monsieur  de  Lazabed,  Monsieur  Fau- 
quelin  of  der  Agatemi  —  " 

"  Monsieur  le  baron !  —  " 

"Hey!  der  tefle !  dont  pe  zo  humple,  Monsieur  der 
debudy-mayor ;  I  haf  heard  dat  der  king  say  dat  your 
pall  —  " 

"  The  king?  "  exclaimed  Birotteau,  who  was  destined 
to  hear  no  more,  for,  at  this  moment,  a  young  man 
entered  the  room  familiarly,  whose  step,  recognized 
from  afar  by  the  beautiful  Delphine  de  Nucingen, 
brought  the  color  to  her  cheek. 

"  Goot  morning,  my  tear  te  Mar  say ;  tak  my  blace. 
Dere  is  a  crowd,  zey  tell  me,  waiting  in  der  gounting- 
room.  I  know  vy.  Der  mines  of  Wortschin  bay  a 
graat  divitent !  I  haf  receifed  die  aggonts.  You  vill 
haf  one  hundert  tousant  francs,  Matame  de  Nucingen, 
so  can  you  buy  chewels  and  oder  tings  to  make  you 
bretty,  —  as  if  you  could  be  brettier !  " 

"Good  God!  the  Ragons  sold  their  shares!"  ex- 
claimed Birotteau. 

"Who  are  those  persons?"  asked  the  elegant  de 
Marsaj*,  smiling. 

"  Egzactly,"  said  Monsieur  de  Nucingen,  turning 
back  when  he  was  almost  at  the  door.  "  I  zink  dat 
dose  persons —  te  Marsay,  dis  is  Monsieur  PirodSt, 

19 


290  C6iar  Birotteau. 

your  berfumer,  who  gifs  palls  of  a  magnifissence  druly 
Aziatigue,  and  whom  der  king  has  decoraded." 

De  Marsaj'  lifted  his  eyeglass,  and  said,  "  Ah !  true,  I 
thought  the  face  was  not  unknown  to  me.  So  you  are 
going  to  perfume  your  affairs  with  potent  cosmetics, 
oil  them  with  —  " 

"Ah !  dose  Rakkons,"  interrupted  the  baron,  making 
a  grimace  expressive  of  disgust;  "  dey  had  an  aggont 
mit  us  ;  I  fafored  dem,  and  dey  could  ha  f  made  der  for- 
tune, but  dey  would  not  wait  one  zingle  day  longer." 

"  Monsieur  le  baron !  "  cried  Birotteau. 

The  worthy  man  thought  his  own  prospects  extremely 
doubtful,  and  without  bowing  to  Madame  de  Nucingen, 
or  to  de  Marsay,  he  hastily  followed  the  banker.  The 
baron  was  already  on  the  staircase,  and  Birotteau  caught 
him  at  the  bottom  just  as  he  was  about  to  enter  the 
counting-room.  As  Nucingen  opened  the  door  he  saw 
the  despairing  gesture  of  the  poor  creature  behind 
him,  who  felt  himself  pushed  off  into  a  gulf,  and  said 
hastily,  — 

"Veil,  it  is  all  agreet.  See  tu  Tillet,  and  arranche 
it  mit  him." 

Birotteau,  thinking  that  de  Marsay  might  have  some 
influence  with  Nucingen,  ran  back  with  the  rapidity  of  a 
swallow,  and  slipped  into  the  dining-room  where  he  had 
left  the  baronne  and  the  young  man,  and  where  Delphine 
was  waiting  for  a  cup  of  cafe  a  la  creme.  He  saw  that 
the  coffee  had  been  served,  but  the  baronne  and  the 
dandy  had  disappeared.  The  footman  smiled  at  the  as- 
tonishment of  the  worth}'^  man,  who  slowly  re-descended 
the  stairs.  Cesar  rushed  to  du  Tillet' s,  and  was  told 
that  he  had  gone  into  the  country  with  Madame  Koguio. 


CSmr  Birotteau.  291 

He  took  a  cabriolet,  and  paid  the  driver  well  to  be  taken 
rapidly  to  Nogent-sur-Marne.  At  Nogent-sur-Marne 
the  porter  told  him  that  monsieur  and  madame  had 
started  for  Paris.  Birotteau  returned  home,  shattered 
in  mind  and  body.  When  he  related  his  wild-goose 
chase  to  his  wife  and  daughter  he  was  amazed  to  find 
his  Constance,  usually  perched  like  a  bird  of  ill  omen 
on  the  smallest  commercial  mishap,  now  giving  him  the 
tenderest  consolation,  and  assuring  him  that  everything 
would  turn  out  well. 

The  next  morning,  Birotteau  mounted  guard  as  early 
as  seven  o'clock  before  du  Tillet's  door.  He  begged 
the  porter,  slipping  ten  francs  into  his  hand,  to  put 
him  in  communication  with  du  Tillet's  valet,  and  ob- 
tained from  the  latter  a  promise  to  show  him  in  to  his 
master  the  moment  that  du  Tillet  was  visible :  he  slid 
two  pieces  of  gold  into  the  valet's  hand.  By  such  little 
sacrifices  and  great  humiUations,  common  to  all  courtiers 
and  petitioners,  he  was  able  to  attain  his  end.  At 
half-past  eight,  just  as  his  former  clerk  was  putting  on 
a  dressing-gown,  yawning,  stretching,  and  shaking  off 
the  cobwebs  of  sleep,  Birotteau  came  face  to  face  with 
the  tiger,  hungry  for  revenge,  whom  he  now  looked 
upon  as  his  only  friend. 

"  Go  on  with  your  dressing,"  said  Birotteau. 

"  What  do  you  want,  my  good  Cesar  f"  said  du 
Tillet. 

Cesar  stated,  with  painful  trepidation,  the  answer 
and  requirements  of  Monsieur  de  Nucingen  to  the  in- 
attentive ears  of  du  Tillet,  who  was  looking  for  the 
bellows  and  scolding  his  valet  for  the  clumsy  manner 
in  which  he  had  lighted  the  fire. 


292  CSsar  Birotteau. 

The  valet  listened.  At  first  Cesar  did  not  notice 
him ;  when  he  did  so  he  stopped  short,  confused,  but 
resumed  what  he  was  saying  as  du  Tillet  touched  him 
with  the  spur  exclaiming,  "  Go  on !  go  on !  I  am  listen- 
ing to  you." 

The  poor  man's  shirt  was  wet;  his  perspiration 
turned  to  ice  as  du  Tillet  looked  fixedly  at  him,  and  he 
saw  the  silver-lined  pupils  of  those  eyes,  streaked  with 
threads  of  gold,  which  pierced  to  his  very  heart  with  a 
diabolical  gleam. 

"  My  dear  master,  the  Bank  has  refused  to  take  your 
notes  which  the  house  of  Claparon  passed  over  to 
Gigonnet  not  guaranteed.  Is  that  my  fault?  How  is  it 
that  you,  an  old  commercial  judge,  could  commit  such 
blunders  ?  I  am,  first  and  foremost,  a  banker.  I  will 
give  you  my  money,  but  I  cannot  risk  having  my  signa- 
ture refused  at  the  Bank.  My  credit  is  my  life  ;  that  is 
the  case  with  all  of  us.    Do  you  want  money  ?  " 

"  Can  you  give  me  all  I  want?  " 

*'  That  depends  on  how  much  you  owe.  How  much 
do  j'ou  want  ?  " 

♦'  Thirty  thousand  francs." 

"  Are  the  chimne3'-bricks  coming  down  on  my  head?" 
exclaimed  du  Tillet,  bursting  into  a  laugh. 

Cesar,  misled  by  the  luxury'  about  him,  fancied  it 
was  the  laugh  of  a  man  to  whom  the  sum  was  a  mei*e 
trifle  ;  he  breathed  again.     Du  Tillet  rang  the  bell. 

"  Send  the  cashier  to  me." 

"  He  has  not  come,  monsieur,"  said  the  valet. 

"  These  fellows  take  advantage  of  me !  It  is  half- 
past  eight  o'clock,  and  he  ought  to  have  done  a  million 
francs'  worth  of  business  by  this  time." 


CSsar  Birotteau.  298 

Five  minutes  later  Monsieur  Legras  came  in. 

"  How  much  have  we  in  the  desk? " 

"  Only  twenty  thousand  francs.  Monsieur  gave  or- 
ders to  huy  into  the  Funds  to  the  amount  of  thirty 
thousand  francs  cash,  payable  on  the  15th." 

"  That 's  true  ;  I  am  half-asleep  still." 

The  cashier  gave  Birotteau  a  suspicious  look  as  he 
left  the  room. 

"  If  truth  were  banished  from  this  earth,  she  would 
leave  her  last  word  with  a  cashier,"  said  du  Tillet. 
"  Have  n't  you  some  interest  with  little  Popinot,  who  has 
set  up  for  himself  ?  "  he  added,  after  a  dreadful  pause, 
in  which  the  sweat  rolled  in  drops  from  Cesar's  brow. 

"  Yes,"  he  answered  naively.  "  Do  you  think  you 
could  discount  his  signature  for  a  large  amount  ?  " 

"  Bring  me  his  acceptances  for  fifty  thousand  francs, 
and  I  will  get  them  discounted  for  you  at  a  reasonable 
rate  by  old  Gobseck,  who  is  very  easy  to  deal  with 
when  he  has  funds  to  invest ;  and  he  has  some  now." 

Birotteau  went  home  broken-hearted,  not  perceiving 
that  the  bankers  were  tossing  him  from  one  to  the 
other  like  a  shuttle-cock ;  but  Constance  had  already 
guessed  that  credit  was  unattainable.  If  three  bankers 
refused  it,  it  was  very  certain  that  they  had  inquired  of 
each  other  about  so  prominent  a  man  as  a  deputy- 
mayor  ;  and  there  was,  consequently,  no  hope  from  the 
Bank  of  France. 

"  Try  to  renew  your  notes,"  she  said ;  "  go  and  see 
Monsieur  Claparon,  your  copartner,  and  all  the  others 
to  whom  3'ou  gave  notes  for  the  15th,  and  ask  them  to 
renew.  It  will  be  time  enough  to  go  to  the  money- 
lenders with  Popinof  8  paper  if  that  fails." 


284  C6sar  Birotteau. 

"  To-morrow  is  the  13th,"  said  Birotteau,  completely 
crushed. 

In  the  language  of  his  own  prospectus,  he  enjoyed  a 
sanguine  temperament,  which  was  subject  to  an  enor- 
mous waste  through  emotions  and  the  pressure  of 
thought,  and  imperatively  demanded  sleep  to  repair  it. 
Cesarine  took  her  father  into  the  salon  and  played  to 
him  "Rousseau's  Dream,"  —  a  pretty  piece  of  music 
by  Herold ;  while  Constance  sat  sewing  beside  him. 
The  poor  man  laid  his  head  on  a  cushion,  and  every 
time  he  looked  up  at  his  wife  he  saw  a  soft  smile  upon 
her  lips  ;  and  thus  he  fell  asleep. 

"  Poor  man !  "  said  Constance  ;  "  what  misery  is  in 
store  for  him !  God  grant  he  may  have  strength  to 
bear  it ! " 

"  Oh!  what  troubles  you,  mamma?"  said  Cesarine, 
seeing  that  her  mother  was  weeping. 

"Dear  daughter,  I  see  a  failure  coming.  If  your 
father  is  forced  to  make  an  assignment,  we  must  ask  no 
one's  pity.  My  child,  be  prepared  to  become  a  simple 
shop-girl.  If  I  see  you  accepting  your  life  coura- 
geously, I  shall  have  strength  to  begin  my  life  over 
again.  I  know  your  father,  —  he  will  not  keep  back 
.  one  farthing ;  I  shall  resign  my  dower ;  all  that  we  pos- 
'  sess  will  be  sold.  My  child,  you  must  take  your  jewels 
and  your  clothes  to-morrow  to  your  uncle  Pillerault; 
for  you  are  not  bound  to  any  sacrifice." 

Cesarine  was  seized  with  a  terror  beyond  control  as 
she  listened  to  these  words,  spoken  with  religious  sim- 
plicity. The  thought  came  into  her  mind  to  go  and  see 
Anselme  ;  but  her  native  delicacy  checked  it. 

On  the  morrow,  at  nine  o'clock,  Birotteau,  following 


Cesar  Birotteau.  295 

his  wife's  advice,  went  to  find  Claparon  in  the  Rue  de 
Provence,  in  the  grasp  of  anxieties  quite  other  than 
those  through  which  he  had  lately  passed.  To  ask  for 
a  credit  is  an  ordinary  business  matter;  it  happens 
every  day  that  those  who  undertake  an  enterprise  are 
obliged  to  borrow  capital ;  but  to  ask  for  the  renewal  of 
notes  is  in  commercial  jurisprudence  what  the  correc- 
tional police  is  to  the  court  of  assizes,  —  a  first  step 
toward  bankruptcy,  just  as  a  misdemeanor  leads  to 
crime.  The  secret  of  your  embarrassment  is  in  other 
hands  than  your  own.  A  merchant  delivers  himself 
over,  bound  hand  and  foot,  to  another  merchant ;  and 
mercy  is  a  virtue  not  practised  at  the  Bourse. 

C^sar,  who  once  walked  the  streets  of  Paris  with  his 
head  high  and  his  eye  beaming  with  confidence,  now, 
unstrung  by  perplexity,  shrank  from  meeting  Claparon ; 
he  began  to  realize  that  a  banker's  heart  is  mere 
viscera.  Claparon  had  seemed  to  him  so  brutal  in  his 
coarse  jollity,  and  he  had  felt  the  man's  vulgarity  so 
keenly,  that  he  shuddered  at  the  necessity  of  accosting 
him. 

"  But  he  is  nearer  to  the  people ;  perhaps  he  will  there- 
fore have  more  heart ! "  Such  was  the  first  reproachful 
word  which  the  anguish  of  his  position  forced  from 
Cesar's  lips. 

Birotteau  drew  upon  the  dregs  of  his  courage,  and 
went  up  the  stairway  of  a  mean  httle  entresol,  at  whose 
windows  he  had  caught  a  glimpse  of  green  curtains  yel- 
lowed by  the  sun.  He  read  the  word  "  Offices,"  stamped 
in  black  letters  on  an  oval  copper-plate ;  he  rapped, 
nobody  answered,  and  he  went  in.  The  place,  worse 
than  humble,  convej-ed  an  idea  of  penury,  or  avarice, 


296  Ciiar  Birotteau. 

or  neglect.  No  employe  was  to  be  seen  behind  the 
brass  lattice  which  topped  an  unpainted  white  wooden 
enclosure,  breast-high,  within  which  were  tables  and 
desks  in  stained  black  wood.  These  deserted  places 
were  littered  with  inkstands,  in  which  the  ink  was 
mould}'  and  the  pens  as  rumpled  as  a  ragamuffin's 
head,  and  twisted  like  a  sunfish ;  with  boxes  and  papers 
and  printed  matter,  —  all  worthless,  no  doubt.  The 
floor  was  as  dirty,  defaced,  and  damp  as  that  of  a  board- 
ing-house. The  second  room,  announced  by  the  word 
"  Counting-Room  "  on  its  door,  harmonized  with  the 
grim  facetice  of  its  neighbor.  In  one  corner  was  a 
large  space  screened  off  by  an  oak  balustrade,  trellised 
with  copper  wire  and  furnished  with  a  sliding  cat-hole, 
within  which  was  an  enormous  iron  chest.  This  space, 
apparently  given  over  to  the  rioting  of  rats,  also  con- 
tained an  odd-looking  desk,  with  a  shabby  arm-chair, 
which  was  ragged,  green,  and  torn  in  the  seat, — from 
which  the  horse-hair  protruded,  like  the  wig  of  its  mas- 
ter, in  half  a  hundred  libertine  curls.  The  chief  adorn- 
ment of  this  room,  which  had  evidently  been  the  salon 
of  the  appartement  before  it  was  converted  into  a  bank- 
ing-office, was  a  round  table  covered  with  a  green 
cloth,  round  which  stood  a  few  old  chairs  of  black 
leather  with  tarnished  gilt  nails.  The  fireplace,  some- 
what elegant,  showed  none  of  the  soot}'  marks  of  a  fire ; 
the  hearth  was  clean ;  the  mirror,  covered  with  fly- 
specks,  had  a  paltry  air,  in  keeping  with  a  mahogany 
clock  bought  at  the  sale  of  some  old  notary,  which 
annoyed  the  eye,  already  depressed  by  two  candela- 
bras  without  candles  and  the  sticky  dust  that  covered 
them.     The  wall-paper,  mouse-gray  with  a  pink  border, 


CSsar  Birotteau.  297 

revealed,  by  certain  fuliginous  stains,  the  unwholesome 
presence  of  smokers.  Nothing  ever  more  faithfully 
represented  that  prosaic  precinct  called  by  the  news- 
papers an  "  editorial  sanctum."  Birotteau,  fearing 
that  he  might  be  indiscreet,  knocked  sharply  three 
times  on  the  door  opposite  to  that  by  which  he 
entered. 

"Come  in!"  cried  Claparon,  the  reverberation  of 
whose  voice  revealed  the  distance  it  had  to  traverse 
and  the  emptiness  of  the  room,  —  in  which  Cesar  heard 
the  crackling  of  a  good  fire,  though  the  owner  was  ap- 
parently not  there. 

The  room  was,  in  truth,  Claparon's  private  office. 
Between  the  ostentatious  reception-room  of  Fran9ois 
Keller  and  the  untid}'  abode  of  the  counterfeit  banker, 
there  was  all  the  difference  that  exists  between  Versailles 
and  the  wigwam  of  a  Huron  chief.  Birotteau  had  wit- 
nessed the  splendors  of  finance ;  he  was  now  to  see  its 
fooleries.  Lying  in  bed,  in  a  sort  of  oblong  recess  or  den 
opening  from  the  farther  end  of  the  office,  and  where 
the  habits  of  a  slovenly  life  had  spoiled,  dirtied,  greased, 
torn,  defaced,  obliterated,  and  ruined  furniture  which 
had  been  elegant  in  its  da3%  Claparon,  at  the  entrance 
of  Birotteau,  wrapped  his  filthy  dressing-gown  around 
him,  laid  down  his  pipe,  and  drew  together  the  curtains 
of  the  bed  with  a  haste  which  made  even  the  innocent 
perfumer  suspect  his  morals. 

"  Sit  down,  monsieur,"  said  the  make-believe  banker. 

Claparon,  without  his  wig,  his  head  wrapped  up  in  a 
bandanna  handkerchief  twisted  awry,  seemed  all  the 
more  hideous  to  Birotteau  because,  when  the  dressing- 
gown  gaped  open,  he  saw  an  undershirt  of  knitted  wool, 


298  Cimr  Birotteau. 

once  white,  but  now  yellowed  by  wear  indefinitely 
prolonged. 

"  Will  you  breakfast  with  me?  "  said  Claparon,  recol- 
lecting the  perfumer's  ball,  and  thinking  to  make  him  a 
return  and  also  to  put  him  off  the  secret  by  this  invi- 
tation. 

Cesar  now  perceived  a  round  table,  hastily  cleared  of 
its  litter,  which  bore  testimony  to  the  presence  of  jovial 
company  by  a  pat^,  oysters,  white  wine,  and  vulgar  kid- 
neys, sautes  au  vin  de  champagne,  sodden  in  their  own 
sauce.  The  light  of  a  charcoal  brazier  gleamed  on  an 
omelette  aux  truffes. 

Two  covers  and  two  napkins,  soiled  by  the  supper  of 
the  previous  night,  might  have  enlightened  the  purest 
innocence.  Claparon,  thinking  himself  very  clever, 
pressed  his  invitation  in  spite  of  Cesar's  refusal. 

"I  was  to  have  had  a  guest,  but  that  guest  has  dis- 
appointed me,"  said  the  crafty  traveller,  in  a  voice 
likely  to  reach  a  person  buried  under  coverlets. 

"  Monsieur,"  said  Birotteau,  "  I  came  solely  on  busi- 
ness, and  I  shall  not  detain  you  long." 

"I'm  used  up,"  said  Claparon,  pointing  to  the  desk 
and  the  tables  piled  with  documents ;  "  they  don't  leave 
me  a  poor  miserable  moment  to  myself!  I  don't  re- 
ceive people  except  on  Saturday's.  But  as  for  you,  my 
dear  friend,  I  '11  see  you  at  any  time.  I  have  n't  a  mo- 
ment to  love  or  to  loaf ;  I  have  lost  even  the  inspiration 
of  business ;  to  catch  its  vim  one  must  have  the  sloth 
of  ease.  Nobody  ever  sees  me  now  on  the  boulevard 
doing  nothing.  Bah !  I  'm  sick  of  business ;  I  don't 
want  to  talk  about  business ;  I  've  got  money  enough, 
but  I  never  can  get  enough  happiness.     My  gracious  1 


CS%ar  Birotteau.  299 

I  want  to  travel,  —  to  see  Italy !  Oh,  that  dear  Italy ! 
beautiful  in  spite  of  all  her  reverses !  adorable  land, 
where  I  shall  no  doubt  encounter  some  angel,  comply- 
ing yet  majestic !  I  have  always  loved  Italian  women. 
Did  you  ever  have  an  Italian  woman  yourself?  No? 
Then  come  with  me  to  Italy.  We  will  see  Venice,  the 
abode  of  doges,  —  unfortunately  fallen  into  those  intel- 
ligent Austrian  hands  that  know  nothing  of  art !  Bah ! 
let  us  get  rid  of  business,  canals,  loans,  and  peaceful 
governments.  I'm  a  good  fellow  when  I've  got  my 
pockets  lined.     Thunder!  let's  travel." 

"  One  word,  monsieur,  and  I  will  release  you,"  said 
Birotteau.  "  You  made  over  my  notes  to  Monsieur 
Bidault." 

"You  mean  Gigonnet,  that  good  little  Gigonnet, 
easy-going  —  " 

"  Yes,"  said  Cesar ;  "  but  I  wish,  —  and  here  I  count 
upon  your  honor  and  delicacy,  —  " 

Claparon  bowed. 

"  —  to  renew  those  notes." 

"  Impossible  ! "  snapped  the  banker.  "  I  'm  not  alone 
in  the  matter.  "We  have  met  in  council,  —  regular 
Chamber ;  but  we  all  agreed  like  bacon  in  a  frying- 
pan.  The  devil !  we  deliberated.  Those  lands  about 
the  Madeleine  don't  amount  to  anything ;  we  are  oper- 
ating elsewhere.  Hey  I  mv  dear  sir,  if  we  were  not 
involved  in  the  Champs  El^-sees  and  at  the  Bourse 
which  they  are  going  to  finish,  and  in  the  quartier 
Saint-Lazare  and  at  Tivoli,  we  should  n't  be,  as  that 
fat  Nucingen  says,  in  peaseness  at  all.  What 's  the 
Madeleine  to  us  ?  —  a  midge  of  a  thing.  Pr-r-r !  We 
do;n't  play  low,  my  good  fellow,"   he  said,   tapping 


300  CSmr  Birotteau. 

Birotteau  on  the  stomach  and  catching  him  round  the 
waist.  "Come,  let's  have  our  breakfast,  and  talk," 
added  Claparon,  wishing  to  soften  his  refusal. 

' '  Very  good,"  said  Birotteau.  "  So  much  the  worse  for 
the  other  guest,"  he  thought,  meaning  to  make  Claparon 
drunk,  and  to  find  out  who  were  his  real  associates  in 
an  affair  which  began  to  look  suspicious  to  him. 
"  All  right !  Victoire  !  "  called  the  banker. 
This  call  brought  a  regular  Leonarde,  tricked  out 
like  a  fish-woman. 

"  Tell  the  clerks  that  I  can't  see  any  one,  —  not  even 
Nucingen,  Keller,  Gigonnet,  and  all  the  rest  of  them." 
"  No  one  has  come  but  Monsieur  Lempereur." 
"He  can  receive  the  great  people,"  said  Claparon; 
"the  small  fry  are  not  to  get  beyond  the  first  room. 
They  are  to  say  I  'm  cogitating  a  great  enterprise  —  in 
champagne." 

To  make  an  old  commercial  traveller  drunk  is  an 
impossibility.  Cesar  mistook  the  elation  of  the  man's 
vulgarity  when  he  attempted  to  sound  his  mind. 

"  That  infamous  Eoguin  is  still  connected  with  j'ou," 
he  began  ;  "  don't  yoxx  think  yon  ought  to  write  and  tell 
him  to  assist  an  old  friend  whom  he  has  compromised, 
—  a  man  with  whom  he  dined  every  Sunday,  and  whom 
he  has  known  for  twenty  j'ears  ?  " 

"Roguin?  A  fool!  his  share  is  ours  now.  Don't 
be  worried,  old  fellow,  all  will  go  well.  Pa}'  up  on  the 
15th,  and  after  that  we  will  see  —  I  sa}',  we  will  see. 
Another  glass  of  wine  ?  The  capital  does  n't  concern 
me  one  atom  ;  pay  or  don't  pay,  I  sha'  n't  make  faces  at 
you.  I  'm  only  in  the  business  for  a  commission  on  the 
sales,  and  for  a  share  when  the  lands  are  converted  into 


C4sar  Birotteau.  301 

money;  and  it's  for  that  I  manage  the  owners.  Don't 
3'ou  understand  ?  You  have  got  solid  men  behind  you, 
so  I  'm  not  afraid,  my  good  sir.  Nowadajs,  business  is 
all  parcelled  out  in  portions.  A  single  enterprise  re- 
quires a  combination  of  capacities.  Go  in  with  us ; 
don't  potter  with  pomatum  and  perfumes,  —  rubbish! 
rubbish  !     Shave  the  public ;  speculate  !  " 

"  Speculation  !  "  said  C4sar,  "  is  that  commerce?" 

"  It  is  abstract  commerce,"  said  Claparon,  —  "  com- 
merce which  won't  be  developed  for  ten  years  to  come, 
according  to  Nucingen,  the  Napoleon  of  finance  ;  com- 
merce by  which  a  man  can  grasp  the  totality  of  frac- 
tions, and  skim  the  profits  before  there  are  any. 
Gigantic  idea !  one  way  of  pouring  hope  into  pint 
cups,  —  in  short,  a  new  necromancy !  So  far,  we  have 
only  got  ten  or  a  dozen  hard  heads  initiated  into  the 
cabalistic  secrets  of  these  magnificent  combinations." 

Cesar  opened  his  eyes  and  ears,  endeavoring  to 
understand  this  composite  phraseology. 

"Listen,"  said  Claparon,  after  a  pause.  "Such 
master-strokes  need  men.  There  's  the  man  of  genius 
who  has  n't  a  sou  —  like  all  men  of  genius.  Those  fel- 
lows spend  their  thoughts  and  spend  their  money  just 
as  it  comes.  Imagine  a  pig  rooting  round  a  truffle- 
patch  ;  he  is  followed  hy  a  jolly  fellow,  a  moneyed  man, 
who  listens  for  the  grunt  as  piggy  finds  the  succulent. 
Now,  when  the  man  of  genius  has  found  a  good  thing, 
the  moneyed  man  taps  him  on  the  shoulder  and  says, 
'  What  have  j'ou  got  there  ?  You  are  rushing  into  the 
fiery  furnace,  my  good  fellow,  and  jou  have  n't  the  loins 
to  run  out  again.  There  's  a  thousand  francs  ;  just  let 
me  take  it  in  hand  and  manage  the  aflTair.'    Yevy  good ! 


302  CSaar  Birotteau. 

The  banker  then  convokes  the  traders :  '  My  friends, 
let  us  go  to  work :  write  a  prospectus !  Down  with 
humbug ! '  On  that  they  get  out  the  hunting-horns  and 
shout  and  clamor,  — '  One  hundred  thousand  francs  for 
five  sous  !  or  five  sous  for  a  hundred  thousand  francs  ! 
gold  mines  !  coal  mines  ! '  In  short,  all  the  clap-trap  of 
commerce.  We  buy  up  men  of  arts  and  sciences  ;  the 
show  begins,  the  public  enters ;  it  gets  its  money's 
worth,  and  we  get  the  profits.  The  pig  is  penned  up 
with  his  potatoes,  and  the  rest  of  us  wallow  in  bank- 
notes. There  it  aU  is,  my  good  sir.  Come,  go  into 
the  business  with  us.  What  would  30U  like  to  be,  — pig, 
buzzard,  clown,  or  millionnaire ?  Reflect  upon  it;  I 
have  now  laid  before  j'ou  the  whole  theorj'  of  the  mod- 
ern loan-system.  Come  and  see  me  often  ;  you  '11  always 
find  me  a  jovial,  jolly  fellow.  French  joviality  —  gayety 
and  gravity,  all  in  one  —  never  injures  business  ;  quite 
the  contrary'.  Men  who  quaff  the  sparkling  cup  are 
born  to  understand  each  other.  Come,  another  glass 
of  champagne !  it  is  good,  I  tell  j'ou  !  It  was  sent  to 
me  from  Epernay  itself,  by  a  man  for  whom  I  once 
sold  quantities  at  a  good  price  —  I  used  to  be  in 
wines.  He  shows  his  gratitude,  and  remembers  me 
in  my  prosperitj- ;  very  rare,  that." 

Birotteau,  overcome  by  the  frivolity  and  heedlessness 
of  a  man  to  whom  the  world  attributed  extreme  depth 
and  capacit}-,  dared  not  question  him  any  further.  In 
the  midst  of  his  own  haziness  of  mind  produced  by  the 
champagne,  he  did,  however,  recollect  a  name  spoken 
by  du  Tillet ;  and  he  asked  Claparon  who  Gobseck  the 
banker  was,  and  where  he  lived. 

"Have  you  got  as  far  as  that?"   said  Claparon. 


CSsar  Birotteau.  803 

*'  Gobseck  is  a  banker,  just  as  the  headsman  is  a  doctor. 
The  first  word  is  '  fifty  per  cent ; '  he  belongs  to  the  race 
of  Harpagon ;  he  '11  take  canary  birds  at  all  seasons, 
fur  tippets  in  summer,  nankeens  in  winter.  What  secu- 
rities are  you  going  to  offer  him  ?  If  you  want  him  to 
take  your  paper  without  security  you  will  have  to  deposit 
your  wife,  j'our  daughter,  j'our  umbrella,  everj^thing 
down  to  j'our  hat-box,  your  socks  (don't  you  go  in  for 
ribbed  socks?),  j'our  shovel  and  tongs,  and  the  very 
wood  3'ou  've  got  in  the  cellar !  Gobseck !  Gobseck  !  in 
the  name  of  virtuous  folly,  who  told  you  to  go  to  that 
commercial  guillotine  ?  " 

"  Monsieur  du  Tillet." 

*'  Ah  !  the  scoundrel,  I  recognize  him  !  "We  used  to 
be  friends.  If  we  have  quarrelled  so  that  we  don't  speak 
to  each  other,  you  may  depend  upon  it  mj'  aversion  to 
him  is  well-founded  ;  he  let  me  read  down  to  the  bottom 
of  his  infamous  soul,  and  he  made  me  uncomfortable 
at  that  beautiful  ball  you  gave  us.  I  can't  stand  his 
impudent  airs  —  all  because  he  has  got  a  notary's  wife  ! 
I  could  have  countesses  if  I  wanted  them ;  I  sha'  n't 
respect  him  any  the  more  for  that.  Ah  !  my  respect  is 
a  princess  who'll  never  give  birth  to  such  as  he.  But, 
I  say,  you  are  a  funny  fellow,  old  man,  to  flash  us  a 
ball  like  that,  and  two  months  after  try  to  renew  your 
paper !  You  seem  to  have  some  go  in  you.  Let 's  do 
business  together.  You  have  got  a  reputation  which 
would  be  very  useful  to  me.  Oh !  du  Tillet  was  bom 
to  understand  Gobseck.  Du  Tillet  will  come  to  a  bad 
end  at  the  Bourse.  If  he  is,  as  they  say,  the  tool  of 
old  Gobseck,  he  won't  be  allowed  to  go  far.  Gobseck 
sits  in  a  comer  of  his  web  like  an  old  spider  who  has 


304  CSsar  Birotteau. 

travelled  round  the  world.  Sooner  or  later,  ztit!  the 
usurer-  will  toss  him  off  as  I  do  this  glass  of  wine.  So 
much  the  better !  Du  Tillet  has  played  me  a  trick  — 
oh!  a  damnable  trick." 

At  the  end  of  an  hour  and  a  half  spent  in  just  such 
senseless  chatter,  Birotteau  attempted  to  get  away, 
seeing  that  the  late  commercial  traveller  was  about  to 
relate  the  adventure  of  a  republican  deputy  of  Marseilles, 
in  love  with  a  certain  actress  then  playing  the  part  of 
la  belle  Arsene,  who,  on  one  occasion,  was  hissed  by 
a  ro3alist  crowd  in  the  pit. 

"He  stood  up  in  his  box,"  said  Claparon,  "and 
shouted  :  '  Arrest  whoever  hissed  her !  Eugh !  If  it 's 
a  woman,  I  '11  kiss  her ;  if  it  is  a  man,  we  '11  see  about 
it;  if  it's  neither  the  one  nor  the  other,  may  God's 
lightning  blast  it ! '     Guess  how  it  ended." 

"Adieu,  monsieur,"  said  Birotteau. 

"  You  will  have  to  come  and  see  me,"  said  Clapa- 
ron; "that  first  scrap  of  paper  you  gave  Caj'ron 
has  come  back  to  us  protested ;  I  indorsed  it,  so 
I  've  paid  it.  I  shall  send  after  you ;  business  before 
everything." 

Birotteau  felt  stabbed  to  the  heart  by  this  cold  and 
grinning  kindness  as  much  as  by  the  harshness  of  Keller 
or  the  coarse  German  banter  of  Nucingen.  The  famili- 
arity of  the  man,  and  his  grotesque  gabble  excited  by 
champagne,  seemed  to  tarnish  the  soul  of  the  honest 
bourgeois  as  though  he  came  from  a  house  of  financial 
ill-fame.  He  went  down  the  stairway  and  found  him- 
self in  the  streets  without  knowing  where  he  was  going. 
As  he  walked  along  the  boulevards  and  reached  the  Rue 
Saint-Denis,  he  recollected  Molineux,  and  turned  into 


CSmr  Birotteau.  806 

the  Cour  Batave.  He  went  up  the  dirty,  tortuous  stair- 
case which  he  once  trod  so  proudly.  He  recalled  to 
mind  the  mean  and  niggardly  acrimony  of  Molineux, 
and  he  shrank  from  imploring  his  favor.  The  landlord 
was  sitting  in  the  chimney-corner,  as  on  the  occasion 
of  Cesar's  first  visit,  but  his  breakfast  was  now  in 
process  of  digestion.     Birotteau  proffered  his  request. 

"Renew  a  note  for  twelve  hundred  francs?"  said 
MoUneux,  with  mocking  incredulity.  "  Have  you  got 
to  that,  monsieur?  If  you  have  not  twelve  hundred 
francs  to  pay  me  on  the  15th,  do  you  intend  to  send  back 
my  receipt  for  the  rent  unpaid  ?  I  shall  be  sorry  ;  but 
I  have  not  the  smallest  civility  in  monej'-matters,  —  my 
rents  are  m}'  living.  Without  them  how  could  I  pay 
what  I  owe  mj'self  ?  No  merchant  will  deny  the  sound- 
ness of  that  principle.  Money  is  no  respecter  of  per- 
sons ;  money  has  no  ears,  it  has  no  heart.  The  winter 
is  hard,  the  price  of  wood  has  gone  up.  If  you  don't 
pay  me  on  the  15th,  a  little  summons  will  be  served 
upon  you  at  twelve  o'clock  on  the  16th.  Bah!  the 
worthy  Mitral,  your  bailiff,  is  mine  as  well ;  he  will 
send  3'ou  the  writ  in  an  envelope,  with  all  the  con- 
sideration due  to  your  high  position." 

"  Monsieur,  I  have  never  received  a  summons  in  my 
life,"  said  Birotteau. 

"There  is  a  beginning  to  everything,"  said  Molineux. 

Dismayed  by  the  curt  malevolence  of  the  old  man, 
C^sar  was  cowed ;  he  heard  the  knell  of  failure  ringing 
in  his  ears,  and  every  jangle  woke  a  memor}^  of  the 
stern  sayings  his  pitiless  justice  had  uttered  against 
bankrupts.  His  former  opinions  now  seared,  as  with 
fire,  the  soft  substance  of  his  brain. 

20 


306  Cemr  Birotteau. 

"  By  the  by,"  said  Molineux,  "you  neglected  to  pot 
upon  your  notes,  '  for  value  received  in  rental,'  which 
would  secure  me  preference." 

*'  My  position  will  prevent  me  from  doing  anything 
to  the  detriment  of  my  creditors,"  said  C^sar,  stunned 
by  the  sudden  sight  of  the  precipice  yawning  before 
him. 

' '  Verj'  good,  monsieur,  very  good  ;  I  thought  I  knew 
everything  relating  to  rentals  and  tenants,  but  I  have 
learned  through  you  never  to  take  notes  in  pa3-ment. 
Ah !  I  shall  sue  you,  for  your  answer  shows  plainly 
enough  that  you  are  not  going  to  meet  your  liabilities. 
Hard  cash  is  a  matter  which  concerns  every  landlord 
in  Paris." 

Birotteau  went  out,  weary  of  life.  It  is  in  the  nature 
of  such  soft  and  tender  souls  to  be  disheartened  by  a  first 
rebuff,  just  as  a  first  success  encourages  them.  Cesar 
no  longer  had  any  hope  except  in  the  devotion  of  little 
Popinot,  to  whom  his  thoughts  naturally  turned  as  he 
crossed  the  Marche  des  Innocents. 

"  Poor  boy !  who  could  have  believed  it  when  I 
launched  him,  only  six  weeks  ago,  in  the  Tuileries  ?  " 

It  was  just  four  o'clock,  the  hour  at  which  the  judges 
left  their  court-rooms.  Popinot  the  elder  chanced  to 
go  and  see  his  nephew.  This  judge,  whose  mind  was 
singularly  acute  on  all  moral  questions,  was  also  gifted 
with  a  second-sight  which  enabled  him  to  discover  secret 
intentions,  to  perceive  the  meaning  of  insignificant  hu- 
man actions,  the  germs  of  crime,  the  roots  of  wrong- 
doing ;  and  he  now  watched  Birotteau,  though  Birotteau 
was  not  aware  of  it.  The  perfumer,  who  was  anno3ed 
at  finding  the  judge  with  his  nephew,  seemed  to  him 


G6%ar  Birotteau.  807 

harassed,  preoccupied,  pensive.  Little  Popinot,  always 
busy,  with  his  pen  behind  his  ear,  lay  down  as  usual 
flat  on  his  stomach  before  the  father  of  his  Cesarine. 
The  empty  phrases  which  Cesar  addressed  to  his  partner 
seemed  to  the  judge  to  mask  some  important  request. 
Instead  of  going  away,  the  crafty  old  man  stayed  in 
spite  of  his  nephew's  evident  desire,  for  he  guessed  that 
the  perfumer  would  soon  try  to  get  rid  of  him  by  going 
away  himself.  Accordingly,  when  Birotteau  went  out 
the  judge  followed,  and  saw  Birotteau  hanging  about 
that  part  of  the  Rue  des  Cinq-Diamants  which  leads 
into  the  Rue  Aubr3^-le-Boucher.  This  trifling  circum- 
stance roused  the  suspicions  of  old  Popinot  as  to  Cesar's 
intentions ;  he  turned  into  the  Rue  des  Lombards,  and 
when  he  saw  the  perfumer  re-enter  Anselme's  door,  he 
came  hastily  back  again. 

"  My  dear  Popinot,"  said  Cesar  to  his  partner,  "1 
have  come  to  ask  a  service  of  you." 

"What  can  I  do?"  cried  Popinot  with  generous 
ardor. 

*'  Ah!  you  save  my  life,"  exclaimed  the  poor  man, 
comforted  by  this  warmth  of  heart  which  flamed  upon 
the  sea  of  ice  he  had  traversed  for  twenty-five  days. 

"  You  must  give  me  a  note  for  fifty  thousand  francs 
on  my  share  of  the  profits  ;  we  will  arrange  later  about 
the  payment." 

Popinot  looked  fixedly  at  Cdsar.  Cesar  dropped  his 
ej'es.    At  this  moment  the  judge  re-entered. 

"My  son  —  ah!  excuse  me,  Monsieur  Biz'otteau  — 
Anselme,  I  forgot  to  tell  you  —  "  and  with  an  imperious 
gesture  he  led  his  nephew  into  the  street  and  forced  him, 
in  his  shirt-sleeves  and  bareheaded,  to  listen  as  they 


808  CSsar  Birotteau. 

walked  towards  the  Rue  des  Lombards.  "  My  nephew, 
jour  old  master  may  find  himself  so  involved  that  he 
will  be  forced  to  make  an  assignment.  Before  taking 
that  step,  honorable  men  who  have  forty  3-ear8  of  in- 
tegrity to  boast  of,  virtuous  men  seeking  to  save  their 
good  name,  will  pla^'  the  part  of  reckless  gamblers  ;  they 
become  capable  of  anything ;  they  will  sell  their  wives, 
traffic  with  their  daughters,  compromise  their  best 
friends,  pawn  what  does  not  belong  to  them  ;  they  will 
frequent  gambling-tables,  become  dissemblers,  hj-po- 
crites,  liars ;  the\'  will  even  shed  tears.  I  have  wit- 
nessed strange  things.  You  j'ourself  have  seen  Roguin's 
respectability,  —  a  man  to  whom  they  would  have  given 
the  sacraments  without  confession.  I  do  not  apply  these 
remarks  in  their  full  force  to  Monsieur  Birotteau,  —  I 
believe  him  to  be  an  honest  man  ;  but" if  he  asks  you  to 
do  anything,  no  matter  what,  against  the  rules  of  busi- 
ness, such  as  indorsing  notes  out  of  good-nature,  or 
launching  into  a  system  of  '  circulations,'  which,  to  my 
mind,  is  the  first  step  to  swindling,  — for  it  is  uttering 
counterfeit  paper-money,  —  if  he  asks  you  to  do  any- 
thing of  the  kind,  promise  me  that  you  will  sign  nothing 
without  consulting  me.  Remember  that  if  you  love  his 
daughter  you  must  not  —  in  the  very  interests  of  j-our 
love  you  must  not  —  destroy  your  future.  If  Monsieur 
Birotteau  is  to  fall,  what  will  it  avail  if  you  fall  too? 
You  will  deprive  yourselves,  one  as  much  as  the  other, 
of  all  the  chances  of  your  new  business,  which  may  prove 
his  only  refuge." 

"Thank  you,  my  uncle;  a  word  to  the  wise  is 
enough,"  said  Popinot,  to  whom  Cesar's  heart-rending 
exclamation  was  now  explained. 


CSsar  Birotteau.  309 

The  merchant  in  oils,  refined  and  otherwise,  returned 
to  his  gloomy  shop  with  an  anxious  brow.  Birotteau 
saw  the  change. 

"  Will  you  do  me  the  honor  to  come  up  into  my  bed- 
room? We  shall  be  better  there.  The  clerks,  though 
very  busy,  might  overhear  us." 

Birotteau  followed  Popinot,  a  prey  to  the  anxiet}'  a 
condemned  man  goes  through  from  the  moment  of  his 
appeal  for  mercy  until  its  rejection. 

"  My  dear  benefactor,"  said  Anselme,  "  you  cannot 
doubt  my  devotion  ;  it  is  absolute.  Permit  me  only  to 
ask  you  one  thing.  Will  this  sum  clear  j'ou  entirely, 
or  is  it  only  a  means  of  delating  some  catastrophe ?  If 
it  is  that,  what  good  will  it  do  to  drag  me  down  also  ? 
You  want  notes  at  ninety  days.  Well,  it  is  absolutely 
impossible  that  I  could  meet  them  in  that  time." 

Birotteau  rose,  pale  and  solemn,  and  looked  at 
Popinot. 

Popinot,  horror-struck,  cried  out,  "I  will  do  them 
for  you,  if  3^ou  wish  it." 

"  Ungrateful  ! "  said  his  master,  who  spent  his  whole 
remaining  strength  in  hurling  the  word  at  Anselme's 
brow,  as  if  it  were  a  living  mark  of  infam3^ 

Birotteau  walked  to  the  door,  and  went  out.  Popi- 
not, rousing  himself  from  the  sensation  which  the  ter- 
i^jble  word  produced  upon  him,  rushed  down  the  stair- 
case and  into  the  street,  but  Birotteau  was  out  of  sight. 
Cesarine's  lover  heard  that  dreadful  charge  ringing  in 
his  ears,  and  saw  the  distorted  face  of  the  poor  distracted 
Cesar  constantly  before  him ;  Popinot  was  to  live  hence- 
forth, like  Hamlet,  with  a  spectre  beside  him. 

Birotteau  wandered  about  the  streets  of  the  neighbor- 


310  CSaar  Birotteau. 

hood  like  a  drunken  man.  At  last  he  found  himself 
upon  the  quay,  and  followed  it  till  he  reached  Sevres, 
where  he  passed  the  night  at  an  inn,  maddened  with 
grief,  while  his  terrified  wife  dared  not  send  in  search 
of  him.  She  knew  that  in  such  circumstances  an  alarm, 
imprudently  given,  might  be  fatal  to  his  credit,  and 
the  wise  Constance  sacrificed  her  own  anxiety  to  her 
husband's  commercial  reputation :  she  waited  silently 
through  the  night,  mingling  her  prayers  and  terrors. 
Was  Cesar  dead?  Had  he  left  Paris  on  the  scent  of 
some  last  hope?  The  next  morning  she  behaved  as 
though  she  knew  the  reasons  for  his  absence  ;  but  at  five 
o'clock  in  the  afternoon  when  Cesar  had  not  returned, 
she  sent  for  her  uncle  and  begged  him  to  go  at  once  to  the 
Morgue.  During  the  whole  of  that  day  the  courageous 
creature  sat  behind  her  counter,  her  daughter  embroid- 
ering beside  her.  When  Pillerault  returned,  Cesar  was 
with  him ;  on  his  way  back  the  old  man  had  met  him 
in  the  Palais-Royal,  hesitating  before  the  entrance  to 
a  gambling-house. 

This  was  the  14th.  At  dinner  Cesar  could  not  eat. 
His  stomach,  violently  contracted,  rejected  food.  The 
evening  hours  were  terrible.  The  shaken  man  went 
through,  for  the  hundredth  time,  one  of  those  frightful 
alternations  of  hope  and  despair  which,  by  forcing  the 
soul  to  run  up  the  scale  of  joyous  emotion  and  then  pre; 
cipitating  it  to  the  last  depths  of  agony,  exhaust  the  vital 
strength  of  feeble  beings.  Derville,  Birotteau's  advo- 
cate, rushed  into  the  handsome  salon  where  Madame 
Cesar  was  using  all  her  persuasion  to  retain  her  husband, 
who  wished  to  sleep  on  the  fifth  floor,  —  "  that  I  may 
not  see,"  he  said,  "  these  monuments  of  my  foil}-." 


CSsar  Birotteau,  311 

*'  The  suit  is  won  !  "  cried  Derville. 

At  these  words  Cesar's  drawn  face  relaxed ;  but  his 
joj'  alarmed  Derville  and  Pillerault.  The  women  left 
the  room  to  go  and  weep  by  themselves  in  Cesarine's 
chamber. 

"  Now  I  can  get  a  loan !  "  cried  Birotteau. 

"  It  would  be  imprudent,"  said  Derville ;  "  they  have 
appealed ;  the  court  might  reverse  the  judgment ;  but 
in  a  month  it  would  be  safe." 

"A  month!" 

Cesar  fell  into  a  sort  of  slumber,  from  which  no  one 
tiied  to  rouse  him, —  a  species  of  catalepsy,  in  which  the 
body  lived  and  suffered  while  the  functions  of  the  mind 
were  in  abeyance.  This  respite,  bestowed  bj'  cliance, 
was  looked  upon  by  Constance,  C^sarine,  Pillerault, 
and  Derville  as  a  blessing  from  God.  And  they  judged 
rightly  :  Cesar  was  thus  enabled  to  bear  the  harrowing 
emotions  of  that  night.  He  was  sitting  in  a  corner  of 
the  sofa  near  the  fire ;  his  wife  was  in  the  other  corner 
watching  him  attentively,  with  a  soft  smile  upon  her 
lips,  —  the  smile  which  proVes  that  women  are  nearer 
than  men  to  the  angelic  nature,  in  that  they  know  how 
to  mingle  an  infinite  tenderness  with  an  all-embracing 
compassion  ;  a  secret  belonging  only  to  angels  seen  in 
dreams  providentially  strewn  at  long  intervals  through 
the  history  of  human  life.  Cesarine,  sitting  oh  a  little 
stool  at  her  mother's  feet,  touched  her  father's  hand 
lightly  with  her  hair  from  time  to  time,  as  she  gave  him 
a  caress  into  which  she  strove  to  put  the  thoughts  which, 
in  such  crises,  the  voice  seems  to  render  intrusive. 

Seated  in  his  arm-chair,  like  the  Chancelier  de  I'Hopital 
on  the  peristyle  of  the  Chamber  of  Deputies,  Pillerault  — 


312  Ci%ar  Birotteau. 

a  philosopher  prepared  for  all  events,  and  showing  upon 
his  countenance  the  wisdom  of  an  Egyptian  sphinx  — 
was  talking  to  Derville  and  his  niece  in  a  suppressed 
voice.  Constance  thought  it  best  to  consult  the  lawyer, 
whose  discretion  was  be3'ond  a  doubt.  With  the  bal- 
ance-sheet written  in  her  head,  she  explained  the  whole 
situation  in  low  tones.  After  an  hour's  conference,  held 
in  presence  of  the  stupefied  Cesar,  Derville  shook  his 
head  and  looked  at  Pillerault. 

"Madame,"  he  said,  with  the  horrible  coolness  of 
his  profession,  "you  must  give  in  your  schedule  and 
make  an  assignment.  Even  supposing  that  by  some 
contrivance  you  could  meet  the  payments  for  to-morrow, 
you  would  have  to  pay  down  at  least  three  hundred 
thousand  francs  before  you  could  bon-ow  on  those 
lands.  Your  liabilities  are  five  hundred  thousand.  To 
meet  them  you  have  assets  that  are  very  promising, 
ver}'  productive,  but  not  convertible  at  present;  you 
must  fail  within  a  given  time.  My  opinion  is  that  it 
is  better  to  jump  out  of  the  window  than  to  roll  down- 
stairs." 

"  That  is  my  advice,  too,  dear  child,"  said  Pillerault 

Derville  left,  and  Madame  C^sar  and  Pillerault  went 
with  him  to  the  door. 

"Poor  father!"  said  Cesarine,  who  rose  softly  to 
lay  a  kiss  on  Cesar's  head.  "  Then  Anselme  could  do 
nothing?"  she  added,  as  her  mother  and  Rllerault 
returned. 

"  Ungrateful  ! "  cried  C^sar,  struck  by  the  name  of 
Anselme  in  the  only  living  part  of  his  memory,  —  as 
the  note  of  a  piano  lifts  the  hammer  which  strikes  its 
corresponding  string. 


CSaar  Birotteau.  813 


V. 


From  the  moment  when  that  word  "  Ungrateful"  was 
flung  at  him  Uke  an  anathema,  little  Popinot  had  not  had 
an  hour's  sleep  nor  an  instant's  peace  of  mind.  The 
unhappy  lad  cursed  his  uncle,  and  finally  went  to  see 
him.  To  get  the  better  of  that  experienced  judicial  wis- 
dom he  poured  forth  the  eloquence  of  love,  hoping  it 
might  seduce  a  being  from  whose  mind  human  speech 
slips  like  water  from  a  duck's  back,  —  a  judge  ! 

"From  a  commercial  point  of  view,"  he  said,  "cus- 
tom does  allow  the  managing-partner  to  advance  a  cer- 
tain sum  to  the  sleeping-partner  on  the  profits  of  the 
business,  and  we  are  certain  to  make  profits.  After 
close  examination  of  my  affairs  I  do  feel  strong  enough 
to  pay  forty  thousand  francs  in  three  months.  The 
known  integrity  of  Monsieur  Cesar  is  a  guarantee  that 
he  will  use  that  forty  thousand  to  pa}'  off  his  debts. 
Thus  the  creditors,  if  there  should  come  a  failure,  can 
lay  no  blame  on  us.  Besides,  uncle,  I  would  rather 
lose  forty  thousand  francs  than  lose  Cesarine.  At  this 
very  moment  while  I  am  speaking,  she  has  doubtless 
been  told  of  my  refusal,  and  will  cease  to  esteem  me. 
I  vowed  my  blood  to  my  benefactor !  I  am  like  a 
young  sailor  who  ought  to  sink  with  his  captain,  or  a 
soldier  who  should  die  with  his  general." 

"  Good  heart  and  bad  merchant,  you  will  never  lose 
my  esteem,"  said  the  judge,  pressing  the  hand  of  his 


814  CSaar  Birotteau, 

nephew.  "I  have  thought  a  great  deal  of  this,"  he 
added.  "  I  know  j'ou  love  Cesarine  devoted!}-,  and  I 
think  you  can  satisfy  the  claims  of  love  and  the  claims 
of  commerce." 

"  Ah  !  my  uncle,  if  you  have  found  a  way  my  honor 
is  saved ! " 

"  Advance  Birotteau  fifty  thousand  francs  on  his 
share  in  your  oil,  which  has  now  become  a  species  of 
property,  reserving  to  j'ourself  the  right  of  buying  it 
back.     I  will  draw  up  the  deed." 

Anselme  embraced  his  uncle  and  rushed  home,  made 
notes  to  the  amount  of  fift^^  thousand  francs,  and  ran 
from  the  Rue  des  Cinq-Diamants  to  the  Place  Vendome, 
so  that  just  as  Cesarine,  her  mother,  and  Pillerault  were 
gazing  at  C^sar,  amazed  at  the  sepulchral  tone  in  which 
he  had  uttered  the  word  "  Ungi*ateful !  "  the  door  of 
the  salon  opened  and  Popinot  appeared. 

"  My  dear  and  beloved  master !  "  he  cried,  wiping  the 
perspiration  from  his  forehead,  "  here  is  what  you  asked 
of  me!"  He  held  out  the  notes.  "  Yes,  I  have  carefully 
examined  my  situation  ;  j'ou  need  have  no  fear,  I  shall 
be  able  to  paj'  them.     Save  —  save  yoxxx  honor !  " 

"  I  was  sure  of  him  !  "  cried  Cesarine,  seizing  Popi- 
not's  hand,  and  pressing  it  with  convulsive  force. 

Madame  Cesar  embraced  him  ;  Birotteau  rose  up  like 
the  righteous  at  the  sound  of  the  last  trump,  and  issued, 
as  it  were,  from  the  tomb.  Then  he  stretched  out  a 
frenzied  hand  to  seize  the  fift^^  stamped  papers. 

"  Stop  !  "  said  the  terrible  uncle  Pillerault,  snatching 
the  papers  from  Popinot,  "  one  moment !  " 

The  four  individuals  present,  —  Cesar,  his  wife,  Cesa- 
rine, and  Popinot,  —  bewildered  by  the  action  of  the  old 


Cisar  Birotteau.  815 

man  and  by  the  tone  of  his  voice,  saw  him  tear  the 
papers  and  fling  them  in  the  fire,  without  attempting  to 
interfere. 

"Uncle!" 

"Uncle!" 

"Uncle!" 

"  Monsieur!" 

Four  voices  and  but  one  heart ;  a  startling  unanimity ! 
Uncle  Pillerault  passed  his  arm  round  Popinot's  neck, 
held  him  to  his  breast,  and  kissed  him. 

"You  are  worthy  of  the  love  of  those  who  have 
hearts,"  he  said.  "If  you  loved  a  daughter  of  mine, 
had  she  a  million  and  j'ou  had  nothing  but  that  [point- 
ing to  the  black  ashes  of  the  notes] ,  you  should  marry 
her  in  a  fortnight,  if  she  loved  you.  Your  master," 
he  said,  pointing  to  Cesar,  "is  beside  himself.  My 
nephew,"  resumed  Pillerault  gravel}-,  addressing  the 
poor  man,  —  "my  nephew,  away  with  illusions!  We 
must  do  business  with  francs,  not  feelings.  All  this 
is  noble,  but  useless.  I  spent  two  hours  at  the  Bourse 
this  afternoon ;  )'ou  have  not  one  farthing's  credit ; 
every  one  is  talking  of  j'our  disaster,  of  your  attempts 
to  renew,  of  your  appeals  to  various  bankers,  of  their 
refusals,  of  your  follies,  —  going  up  six  flights  of  stairs 
to  beg  a  gossiping  landlord,  who  chatters  like  a  mag- 
pie, to  renew  a: note  of  twelve  hundred  francs!  —  your 
ball,  given  to  conceal  your  embarrassments.  They 
have  'gone  so  far  as  to  say  you  had  no  property  in 
Roguin's  hands ;  according  to  your  enemies,  Roguin  is 
only  a  blind.  A  friend  of  mine,  whom  I  sent  about  to 
learn  what  is  going  on,  confirms  what  I  tell  you.  Every 
one  foresees  that  Popinot  will  issue  notes,  and  believes 


816  CSsar  Birotteau. 

that  j'ou  set  him  up  in  business  expressly  as  a  last  re- 
source. In  short,  every  calumnj'  or  slander  which  a 
man  brings  upon  himself  when  he  tries  to  mount  a  rung 
of  the  social  ladder,  is  going  the  rounds  among  business 
men  to-da}'.  You  might  hawk  about  those  notes  of 
Popinot  in  vain  ;  you  would  meet  humiliating  refusals  ; 
no  one  would  take  them ;  no  one  could  be  sure  how 
many  such  notes  3^ou  are  issuing ;  ever}-  one  expects 
you  to  sacrifice  the  poor  lad  to  your  own  safety.  You 
would  destroy  to  no  purpose  the  credit  of  the  house  of 
Popinot.  Do  you  know  how  much  the  boldest  monej'- 
lender  would  give  you  for  those  fifty  thousand  francs? 
Twenty  thousand  at  the  most ;  twent^^  thousand,  do  you 
hear  me  ?  There  are  crises  in  business  when  we  must 
stand  up  three  days  before  the  world  without  eating, 
as  if  we  had  indigestion,  and  on  the  fourth  we  maj'  be 
admitted  to  the  larder  of  credit.  You  cannot  live 
through  those  three  dajs ;  and  the  whole  matter  lies 
there.  M}^  poor  nephew,  take  courage  !  file  3'our  sched- 
ule, make  an  assignment.  Here  is  Popinot,  here  am 
I ;  we  will  go  to  work  as  soon  as  the  clerks  have  gone  to 
bed,  and  spare  you  the  agony  of  it." 

"  My.  uncle  !  "  said  Cesar,  clasping  his  hands. 

"  Cesar,  would  jou  choose  a  shameful  failure,  in 
which  there  are  no  assets?  Your  share  in  the  house  of 
Popinot  is  all  that  saves  your  honor." 

Cesar,  awakened  by  this  last  and  fatal  stream  of 
light,  saw  at  length  the  frightful  truth  in  its  full  extent ; 
he  fell  back  upon  the  sofa,  from  tlience  to  his  knees, 
and  his  mind  seemed  to  wander :  he  became  like  a  lit- 
tle child.  His  wife  thought  he  was  dying.  She  knelt 
down  to  raise  him,  but  joined  her  voice  to  his  when 


CSsar  Birotteau.  817 

she  saw  him  clasp  his  hands  and  lift  his  eyes,  and 
recite,  with  resigned  contrition,  in  the  hearing  of  his 
uncle,  his  daughter,  and  Popinot,  the  sublime  catholic 
prayer : — 

"  Our  Father  who  art  in  heaven,  hallowed  be  thy 
name ;  thy  kingdom  come ;  thy  will  be  done  on  earth, 
as  it  is  in  heaven  ;  give  us  this  day  our  daily  bread  ; 
and  forgive  us  our  offences,  as  we  forgive  those  who 
have  offended  against  us.     So  be  it ! " 

Tears  came  into  the  ej'es  of  the  stoic  Pillerault; 
Cesarine,  overcome  and  weeping,  leaned  her  head  upon 
Popinot's  shoulder,  as  he  stood  pale  and  rigid  as  a 
statue. 

"Let  us  go  below,"  said  the  old  merchant,  taking 
the  arm  of  the  young  man. 

It  was  half-past  eleven  when  the}'  left  Cesar  to  the 
care  of  his  wife  and  daughter.  Just  at  that  moment 
C^lestin,  the  head-clerk,  to  whom  the  management  of 
the  house  had  been  left  during  this  secret  tumult, 
came  up  to  the  appartement  and  entered  the  salon. 
Hearing  his  step,  Cesarine  ran  to  meet  him,  that  he 
might  not  see  the  prostration  of  his  master. 

"  Among  the  letters  this  evening  there  was  one 
from  Tours,  which  was  misdirected  and  therefore  de- 
layed. I  thought  it  might  be  from  monsieur's  brother, 
so  I  did  not  open  it." 

"  Father ! "  cried  Cesarine ;  "a  letter  from  my  uncle 
at  Tours !  " 

"Ah,  I  am  saved  ! "  cried  C^sar.  "  My  brother !  oh, 
my  brother !  "  He  kissed  the  letter,  as  he  broke  the 
seal,  and  read  it  aloud  to  his  wife  and  daughter  in  a 
trembling  voice :  — 


318  C6mr  Birotteau. 

Answer  of  Franfois  to  Cesar  Birotteau. 

Tours,  lOth. 
My  beloved  Brother,  —  Your  letter  gave  me  the  deep- 
est pain.  As  soon  as  I  had  read  it,  I  went  at  once  knd  offered 
to  God  the  holy  sacrifice  of  the  Mass,  imploring  him  by  the 
blood  which  his  Son,  our  divine  Redeemer,  shed  for  us,  to 
look  with  mercy  upon  your  affictions.  At  the  moment 
when  I  offered  the  prayer  Pro  meo  fratre  Ccesare,  my  eyes 
were  filled  with  tears  as  I  thought  of  you,  —  from  whom, 
unfortunately,  I  am  separated  in  these  days  when  you  must 
sorely  need  the  support  of  fraternal  friendship.  I  have 
thought  that  the  worthy  and  venerable  Monsieur  Pillerault 
would  doubtless  replace  me.  My  dear  Cesar,  never  forget, 
in  the  midst  of  your  troubles,  that  this  life  is  a  scene  of 
trial,  and  is  passing  away;  that  one  day  w^e  shall  be  re- 
warded for  having  suffered  for  the  holy  name  of  God,  for  his 
holy  Church,  for  having  followed  the  teachings  of  his  Gos- 
pel and  practised  virtue.  Jf  it  were  otherwise,  this  world 
would  have  no  meaning.  I  repeat  to  you  these  maxims 
though  I  know  how  good  and  pious  you  are,  because  it  may 
happen  that  those  who,  like  you,  are  flung  into  the  storms 
of  life  upon  the  perilous  waves  of  human  interests  might  be 
tempted  to  utter  blasphemies  in  the  midst  of  their  adversity, 
—  carried  away  as  they  are  by  anguish.  Curse  neither  the 
men  who  injure  you  nor  the  God  who  mingles,  at  his  will, 
your  joy  with  bitterness.  Look  not  on  life,  but  lift  your 
eyes  to  heaven ;  there  is  comfort  for  the  weak,  there  are 
riches  for  the  poor,  there  are  terrors  for  the  — 

"But,  Birotteau,"  said  his  wife,  "  skip  all  that,  and 
see  what  he  sends  us." 

♦'  We  will  read  it  over  and  over  hereafter,"  said 
C^sar,  wiping  his  eyes  and  turning  over  the  page,  — 
letting  fall,  as  he  did  so,  a  Treasury  note.     "  I  was 


Ciiar  Birotteau.  319 

sure  of  him,  poor  brother !  "  said  Birotteau,  picking  up 
the  note  and  continuing  to  read,  in  a  voice  broken  by 
tears. 

I  went  to  Madame  de  Listomfere,  and  without  telling  her 
the  reason  of  my  request  I  asked  her  to  lend  me  all  she 
could  dispose  of,  so  as  to  swell  the  amount  of  my  savings. 
Her  generosity  has  enabled  me  to  make  up  a  thousand 
francs;  which  I  send  herewith,  in  a  note  of  the  Receiver- 
General  of  Tours  on  the  Treasury. 

"  A  fine  sum !  "  said  Constance,  looking  at  C^sarine. 

By  retrenching  a  few  superfluities  in  my  life,  I  can  return 
the  four  hundred  francs  Madame  de  Listomfere  has  lent  me 
in  three  years ;  so  do  not  make  yourself  uneasy  about  them, 
my  dear  Cesar.  I  send  you  all  I  have  in  the  world ;  hoping 
that  this  sum  may  help  you  to  a  happy  conclusion  of  your 
financial  difficulties,  which  doubtless  are  only  momentary. 
I  well  know  your  delicacy,  and  I  wish  to  forestall  your  ob- 
jections. Do  not  dream  of  paying  me  any  interest  for  this 
money,  nor  of  paying  it  back  at  all  in  the  day  of  prosperity 
which  ere  long  will  dawn  for  you  if  God  deigns  to  hear  the 
prayers  I  offer  to  him  daily.  After  I  received  your  last  letter, 
two  years  ago,  I  thought  you  so  rich  that  I  felt  at  liberty 
to  spend  my  savings  upon  the  poor;  but  now,  all  that  I 
have  is  yours.  When  you  have  overcome  this  little  com- 
mercial difficulty,  keep  the  sum  I  now  send  for  my  niece 
Cesarine ;  so  that  when  she  marries  she  may  buy  some  trifle 
to  remind  her  of  her  old  uncle,  who  daily  lifts  his  hands  to 
heaven  to  implore  the  blessing  of  God  upon  her  and  all  who 
are  dear  to  her.  And  also,  my  dear  Cesar,  recollect  I  am  a 
poor  priest  who  dwells,  by  the  grace  of  God,  like  the  larks 
in  the  meadow,  in  quiet  places,  trying  to  obey  the  com- 
mandment of  our  divine  Saviour,  and  who  consequently 
needs  but  little  money.    Therefore,  do  not  have  the  least 


820  CSsar  Birotteau. 

scruple  in  the  trying  circumstances  in  which  you  find  your- 
self;  and  think  of  me  as  one  who  loves  you  tenderly. 

Our  excellent  Abb^  Chapeloud,  to  whom  I  have  not  re- 
vealed your  situation,  desires  me  to  convey  his  friendly 
regards  to  every  member  of  your  family,  and  his  wishes  for 
the  continuance  of  your  prosperity.  Adieu,  dear  and  well- 
beloved  brother ;  I  pray  that  at  this  painful  juncture  God 
will  be  pleased  to  preserve  your  health,  and  also  that  of 
your  wife  and  daughter.  I  wish  you,  one  and  all,  patience 
and  courage  under  your  afflictions. 

Francois  Birotteau, 
Priest,  Vicar  of  the  Cathedral  and  Parochial  Church 
of  Saint-Gatien  de  Tours. 

"  A  thousand  francs  !  "  cried  Madame  Birotteau. 

"  Put  them  away,"  said  Cesar  gravely  ;  "  they  are  all 
he  had.  Besides,  they  belong  to  our  daughter,  and 
will  enable  us  to  live ;  so  that  we  need  ask  nothing  of 
our  creditors." 

"  They  will  think  you  are  abstracting  large  sums." 

"  Then  I  will  show  them  the  letter." 

"  They  will  think  it  a  trick." 

"My  God!  my  God!"  cried  Birotteau.  "I  once 
thought  thus  of  poor,  unhapp}'^  people  who  were  doubt- 
less as  I  am  now." 

Terribly  anxious  about  C<^sar's  state,  mother  and 
daughter  sat  plying  their  needles  by  his  side,  in  pro- 
found silence.  At  two  in  the  morning  Popinot  gently 
opened  the  door  of  the  salon  and  made  a  sign  to  Madame 
Cesar  to  come  down.  On  seeing  his  niece  Pillerault 
took  off  his  spectacles. 

"  My  child,  there  is  hope,"  he  said ;  "all  is  not  lost. 
But  your  husband  could  not  bear  the  uncertainty  of  the 
negotiations  which  Auselme  and  I  are  about  to  under- 


C6%ar  Birotteau.  321 

take.  Don't  leave  your  shop  to-morrow,  and  take  the 
addresses  of  all  the  bills ;  we  have  till  four  o'clock  in 
the  afternoon  of  the  15th.  Here  is  my  plan  :  Neither 
Ragon  nor  I  am  to  be  considered.  Suppose  that  your 
hundred  thousand  francs  deposited  with  Roguin  had  been 
remitted  to  the  purchasers,  yon  would  not  have  them 
then  any  more  than  you  have  them  now.  The  hundred 
and  forty  thousand  francs  for  which  notes  were  given 
to  Claparon,  and  which  must  be  paid  in  any  state  of 
the  case,  are  what  you  have  to  meet.  Therefore  it  is 
not  Roguin's  bankruptcy  which  has  ruined  you.  I  find, 
to  meet  your  obligations,  forty  thousand  francs  which 
you  can,  sooner  or  later,  borrow  on  your  property  in  the 
Faubourg  du  Temple,  and  sixtj'  thousand  for  your 
share  in  the  house  of  Popinot.  Thus  you  can  make  a 
struggle,  for  later  you  may  borrow  on  the  lands  about 
the  Madeleine.  If  your  chief  creditor  agrees  to  help 
you,  I  shall  not  consider  my  interests  ;  I  shall  sell  out 
my  Funds  and  live  on  dry  bread ;  Popinot  will  get 
along  between  life  and  death,  and  as  for  you,  you  will 
be  at  the  mercy  of  the  smallest  commercial  mischance ; 
but  Cephalic  Oil  will  undoubted^  make  great  returns. 
Popinot  and  I  have  consulted  together ;  we  will  stand 
by  you  in  this  struggle.  Ah !  I  shall  eat  my  dry  bread 
gayly  if  I  see  dajiight  breaking  on  the  horizon.  But 
everything  depends  on  Gigonnet,  who  holds  the  notes, 
and  the  associates  of  Claparon.  Popinot  and  I  are 
going  to  see  Gigonnet  between  seven  and  eight  o'clock 
in  the  morning,  and  then  we  shall  know  what  their 
intentions  are." 

Constance,  wholly  overcome,  threw  herself  into  her 
uncle's  arms,  voiceless  except  through  tears  and  sobs., 
-      21 


C4%ar  Birotteau. 

Neither  Popinot  nor  Pillerault  knew  or  could  know 
that  Bidault,  called  Gigonnet,  and  Claparon  were  du 
Tillet  under  two  shapes ;  and  that  du  Tillet  was  re- 
solved to  read  in  the  "Journal  des  Petites  Affiches" 
this  terrible  article  ;  — 

*'  Judgment  of  the  Court  of  Commerce,  which  declares  the 
Sieur  Cesar  Birotteau,  merchant-perfumer,  living  in  Paris, 
Rue  Saint- Honore,  no.  397,  insolvent,  and  appoints  the  pre- 
liminary examination  on  the  17th  of  January,  1819.  Com- 
jmissioner.  Monsieur  Gobenheim-Keller.  Agent,  Monsieur 
Molineux." 

Anselme  and  Pillerault  examined  Cesar's  affairs  until 
daylight.  At  eight  o'clock  in  the  morning  the  two  brave 
friends,  —  one  an  old  soldier,  the  other  a  young  recruit, 
who  had  never  known,  except  by  hearsay,  the  terrible 
anguish  of  those  who  commonly  went  up  the  staircase 
of  Bidault  called  Gigonnet,  —  wended  their  way,  with- 
out a  word  to  each  other,  towards  the  Rue  Grenetat. 
Both  were  suffering  ;  from  time  to  time  Pillerault  passed 
his  hand  across  his  brow. 

The  Rue  Grenetat  is  a  street  where  all  the  houses, 
crowded  with  trades  of  every  kind,  have  a  repulsive  as- 
pect. The  buildings  are  horrible.  The  vile  uncleanliness 
of  manufactories  is  their  leading  feature.  Old  Gigonnet 
lived  on  the  third  floor  of  a  house  whose  window-sashes, 
with  small  and  very  dirty  panes,  swuug  by  the  middle, 
on  pivots.  The  staircase  opened  directly  upon  the 
street.  The  poller's  lodge  was  on  the  entresol,  in  a 
space  which  was  lighted  only  from  the  staircase.  All 
the  lodgers,  with  the  exception  of  Gigonnet,  worked 
at  trades.  "Workmen  were  continually  coming  and 
going.     The  stairs  were  caked  with  a  layer  of  mud, 


CSsar  Birotteau.  323 

hard  or  soft  according  to  the  state  of  the  atmosphere, 
and  were  covered  with  filth.  Each  landing  of  this 
noisome  stairway  bore  the  names  of  the  occupants  in 
gilt  letters  on  a  metal  plate,  painted  red  and  varnished, 
to  which  were  attached  specimens  of  their  craft.  As 
a  rule,  the  doors  stood  open  and  gave  to  view  queer 
combinations  of  the  domestic  household  and  the  manu- 
facturing opei'ations.  Strange  cries  and  grunts  issued 
therefrom,  with  songs  and  whistles  and  hisses  that  re- 
called the  hour  of  four  o'clock  in  the  Jardin  des  Plantes. 
On  the  first  floor,  in  an  evil-smelling  lair,  the  handsom- 
est braces  to  be  found  in  the  article-Paris  were  made. 
On  the  second  floor,  the  elegant  boxes  which  adorn  the 
shop-windows  of  the  boulevards  and  the  Palais-Ro3'al  at 
the  beginning  of  the  new  year  were  manufactured,  in  the 
midst  of  the  vilest  filth.  Gigonnet  eventuall}'  died,  worth 
eighteen  hundred  thousand  francs,  on  the  third  floor  of 
this  house,  from  which  no  consideration  could  move  him ; 
though  his  niece,  Madame  Saillard,  offered  to  give  him 
an  appartement  in  a  h6tel  in  the  Place  Eoyale. 

"  Courage !  "  said  Pillerault,  as  he  pulled  the  deer's 
hoof  hanging  from  the  bell-rope  of  Gigonnet's  clean 
gray  door. 

Gigonnet  opened  the  door  himself.  Cesar's  two  sup- 
porters, entering  the  precincts  of  bankruptc}',  crossed 
the  first  room,  which  was  clean  and  chilly  and  without 
curtains  to  its  windows.  All  three  sat  down  in  the  inner 
room  where  the  money-lender  lived,  before  a  hearth  full 
of  ashes,  in  the  midst  of  which  the  wood  was  successfully 
defending  itself  against  the  fire.  Popinot's  courage 
froze  at  sight  of  the  usurer's  green  boxes  and  the 
monastic  austerity  of  the  room,  whose  atmosphere  was 


824  C4»ar  Birotteau. 

like  that  of  a  cellar.  He  looked  with  a  wondering  eye  at 
the  miserable  blueish  paper  sprinkled  with  tricolor  flow- 
ers, which  had  been  on  the  walls  for  twent3'-five  j-ears ; 
and  then  his  anxious  glance  fell  upon  the  chimney-piece, 
ornamented  with  a  clock  shaped  like  a  lyre,  and  two 
oval  vases  in  Sevres  blue  richly  mounted  in  copper-gilt. 
This  relic,  picked  up  by  Gigonnet  after  the  pillage  of 
Versailles,  where  the  populace  broke  nearly'  everything, 
came  from  the  queen's  boudoir ;  but  these  rare  vases 
were  flanked  by  two  candelabra  of  abject  shape  made 
of  wrought-iron,  and  the  barbarous  contrast  recalled 
the  circumstances  under  which  the  vases  had  been 
acquired. 

"  I  know  that  you  have  not  come  on  your  own  ac- 
count," said  Gigonnet,  "but  on  behalf  of  the  great 
Birotteau.     Well,  what  is  it,  my  friends?" 

"We  can  tell  j'ou  nothing  that  you  do  not  already 
know;  so  I  will  be  brief,"  said  Pillerault.  "You  have 
notes  to  the  order  of  Claparon?  " 

"Yes." 

"Will  you  exchange  the  first  fifty  thousand  of  those 
notes  against  notes  of  Monsieur  Popinot,  here  present, 
—  less  the  discount,  of  course  ?  " 

Gigonnet  took  off  the  terrible  green  cap  which  seemed 
to  have  been  born  on  him,  pointed  to  his  skull,  denuded 
of  hair  and  of  the  color  of  fresh  butter,  made  his  usual 
Voltairean  grimace,  and  said :  "  You  wish  to  pay  me  in 
hair-oil ;  have  I  any  use  for  it?  " 

"  If  3-ou  choose  to  jest,  there  is  nothing  to  be  done 
but  to  beat  a  retreat,"  said  Pillerault. 

"You  speak  like  the  wise  man  that  j'ou  are,"  answered 
Gigonnet,  with  a  flattering  smile. 


CSsar  Birotteau.  825 

"  "Well,  suppose  I  indorse  Monsieur  Popinot's  notes?  " 
said  Pillerault,  playing  his  last  cai'd. 

"  You  are  gold  by  the  ingot,  Monsieur  Pillerault ;  but 
I  don't  want  bars  of  gold,  I  want  my  money." 

Pillerault  and  Popinot  bowed  and  went  away.  Going 
down  the  stairs,  Popinot's  knees  shook  under  him. 

"  Is  that  a  man?  "  he  said  to  Pillerault. 

"  They  say  so,"  replied  the  other.  "  My  boy,  always 
bear  in  mind  this  short  interview.  Anselme,  30U  have 
just  seen  the  banking-business  unmasked,  without  its 
cloak  of  courtesy'.  Unexpected  events  are  the  screw  of 
the  press,  we  are  the  grapes,  the  bankers  are  the  casks. 
That  land  speculation  is  no  doubt  a  good  one  ;  Gigon- 
net,  or  some  one  behind  him,  means  to  strangle  Cesar 
and  step  into  his  skin.  It  is  all  over ;  there 's  no 
remed}'.  But  such  is  the  Bank :  be  warned ;  never 
have  recourse  to  it !  " 

After  this  horrible  morning,  during  which  Madame 
Birotteau  for  the  first  time  sent  away  those  who  came 
for  their  money,  taking  their  addresses,  the  courage- 
ous woman,  happy  in  the  thought  that  she  was  thus 
sparing  her  husband  from  distress,  saw  Popinot  and 
Pillerault,  for  whom  she  waited  with  ever-growing 
anxiety,  return  at  eleven  o'clock,  and  read  her  sentence 
in  their  faces.     The  assignment  was  inevitable. 

*'  He  will  die  of  grief,"  said  the  poor  woman. 

"  I  could  almost  wish  he  might,"  said  Pillerault, 
solemnly;  "but  he  is  so  religious  that,  as  things  are 
now,  his  director,  the  Abb6  Loraux,  alone  can  save 
him." 

Pillerault,  Popinot,  and  Constance  waited  whjle  a 
clerk  was  sent  to  bring  the  Abb4  Loraux,  before  they 


326  CSsar  Birotteau. 

earned  up  to  Cesar  the  schedule  which  C^lestin  had 
prepared,  and  asked  him  to  affix  his  signature.  The 
clerks  were  in  despair,  for  they  loved  their  master.  At 
four  o'clock  the  good  priest  came  ;  Constance  explained 
the  misfortune  that  had  fallen  upon  them,  and  the  abb6 
went  upstairs  as  a  soldier  mounts  the  breach. 

"  I  know  why  yoxx  have  come !  "  cried  Birotteau. 

"  My  son,"  said  the  priest,  "your  feelings  of  resig- 
nation to  the  Divine  will  have  long  been  known  to  me  ; 
it  now  remains  to  applj'  them.  Keep  your  eyes  upon 
the  cross ;  never  cease  to  behold  it,  and  think  upon  the 
humiliations  heaped  upon  the  Saviour  of  men.  Meditate 
upon  the  agonies  of  his  passion,  and  you  will  be  able  to 
bear  the  mortification  which  God  has  laid  upon  jou  —  " 

"  My  brother,  the  abb^,  has  already  prepared  me," 
said  Cesar,  showing  the  letter,  which  he  had  re-read  and 
now  held  out  to  liis  confessor. 

"You  have  a  good  brother,"  said  Monsieur  Loraux, 
"  a  virtuous  and  gentle  wife,  a  tender  daughter,  two 
good  friends, — your  uncle  and  our  dear  Anselme, — 
two  indulgent  creditors,  the  Ragons :  all  these  kind 
hearts  will  pour  balm  upon  your  wounds  daily,  and  will 
help  you  to  bear  your  cross.  Promise  me  to  have  the 
firmness  of  a  martyr,  and  to  face  the  blow  without 
faltering." 

The  abbe  coughed,  to  give  notice  to  Pillerault  who 
was  waiting  in  the  salon. 

"  My  resignation  is  unbounded,"  said  Cesar,  calmly. 
"Dishonor  has  come;  I  must  now  think  only  of  rep- 
aration." 

The  firm  voice  of  the  poor  man  and  his  whole  man- 
ner surprised   Cesarine  and  the  priest    Yet  nothing 


C6%ar  Birotteau.  327 

could  be  more  natural.  All  men  can  better  bear  a 
known  and  definite  misfortune  than  the  cruel  uncertain- 
ties of  a  fate  which,  from  one  moment  to  another, 
brings  excessive  hope  or  crushing  sorrow. 

"  I  have  dreamed  a  dream  for  twenty-two  j^ears ; 
to-day  I  awake  with  my  cudgel  in  my  hand,"  said 
Cesar,  his  mind  turning  back  to  the  Tourangian  peas- 
ant daj's. 

Pillerault  pressed  his  nephew  in  his  arms  as  he  heard 
the  words.  Birotteau  saw  that  his  wife,  Anselme,  and 
Celestin  were  present.  The  papers  which  the  head- 
clerk  held  in  his  hand  were  significant.  Cesar  calmly 
contemplated  the  little  group  where  every  eje  was  sad 
but  loving. 

"Stay!"  he  said,  unfastening  his  cross,  which  he 
held  out  to  the  Abbe  Loraux  ;  "  give  it  back  to  me  on 
the  day  when  I  can  wear  it  without  shame.  Celestin," 
he  added,  "write  my  resignation  as  deputy-mayor, — 
Monsieur  I'abbe  will  dictate  the  letter  to  you ;  date 
it  the  14th,  and  send  it  at  once  to  Monsieur  de  la 
Billardiere  by  Raguet." 

Celestin  and  the  abbe  went  down  stairs.  For  a 
quarter  of  an  hour  silence  reigned  unbroken  in  C  tsar's 
study.  Such  strength  of  mind  surprised  the  family. 
Celestin  and  the  abbe  came  back,  and  C^sar  signed  his 
resignation.  When  his  uncle  Pillerault  presented  the 
schedule  and  the  papers  of  his  assignment,  the  poor 
man  could  not  repress  a  horrible  nervous  shudder. 

"  My  God,  have  pity  upon  me !"  he  said,  signing  the 
dreadful  paper,  and  holding  it  out  to  Celestin. 

"  Monsieur,"  said  Anselme  Popinot,  over  whose 
dejected    brow    a   luminous    light    flashed    suddenly, 


328  CSsar  Birotteau. 

"madame,  do  me  the  honor  to  grant  me  the  hand 
of  Mademoiselle  C^sarine." 

At  these  words  tears  came  into  the  eyes  of  all  pres- 
ent except  Cesar ;  he  rose,  took  Anselme  by  the  hand 
and  said,  in  a  hollow  voice,  "  My  son,  you  shall  never 
marry  the  daughter  of  a  bankrupt." 

Anselme  looked  fixedly  at  Birotteau  and  said  :  "  Mon- 
sieur, will  you  pledge  yourself,  here,  in  presence  of  your 
whole  family,  to  consent  to  our  marriage,  if  mademoi- 
selle will  accept  me  as  her  husband,  on  the  day  when 
you  have  retrieved  your  failure  ?  " 

There  was  an  instant's  silence,  during  which  all  pres- 
ent were  affected  by  the  emotions  painted  on  the  worn 
face  of  the  poor  man. 

"  Yes,"  he  said,  at  last. 

Anselme  made  a  gesture  of  unspeakable  joy,  as  he 
took  the  hand  which  Cesarine  held  out  to  him,  and 
kissed  it. 

"  You  consent,  then?"  he  said  to  her. 

*' Yes,"  she  answered. 

"  Now  that  I  am  one  of  the  family,  I  have  the  right 
to  concern  myself  in  its  affairs,"  he  said,  with  a  strange, 
excited  expression  of  face. 

He  left  the  room  precipitately,  that  he  might  not  show 
a  joy  which  contrasted  too  cruelly  with  the  sorrow  of  his 
master.  Anselme  was  not  actually' happy  at  the  failure, 
but  love  is  such  an  egoist !  Even  Cesarine  felt  within 
her  heart  an  emotion  that  contradicted  her  bitter  grief. 

"  Now  that  we  have  got  so  far,"  whispered  Pillerault 
to  Constance,  "  shall  we  strike  the  last  blow?" 

Madame  Birotteau  let  a  sign  of  grief  rather  than 
of  acquiescence  escape  her. 


CSsar  Birotteau.  829 

"My  nephew,"  said  Pillerault,  addressing  C^sar, 
*'  what  do  30U  intend  to  do?" 

"  To  carry  on  njy  business." 

"That  would  not  be  my  judgment,"  said  Pillerault. 
"  Take  mj-  advice,  wind  up  everything,  make  over  your 
whole  assets  to  j'our  creditors,  and  keep  out  of  business. 
I  have  often  imagined  how  it  would  be  if  I  were  in  a 
situation  such  as  yours  —  Ah,  one  hus  to  foresee  everj'- 
thing  in  business !  a  merchant  who  does  not  think  of 
failure  is  like  a  general  who  counts  on  never  being  de- 
feated ;  he  is  only  half  a  merchant.  I,  in  your  position, 
would  never  have  continued  in  business.  What !  be 
forced  to  blush  before  the  men  I  had  injured,  to  bear 
their  suspicious  looks  and  tacit  reproaches  ?  I  can  con- 
ceive of  the  guillotine  —  a  moment,  and  all  is  over. 
But  to  have  the  head  replaced,  and  dail}'  cut  off  anew,  — 
that  is  agony  I  could  not  have  borne.  Many  men  take 
up  their  business  as  if  nothing  had  happened  :  so  much 
the  better  for  them ;  the}'  are  stronger  than  Claude- 
Joseph  Pillerault.  If  you  pay  in  cash,  and  you  are 
obliged  to  do  so,  thej^  ssiy  that  you  have  kept  back  part 
of  your  assets;  if  3'ou  are  without  a  penny,  it  is  use- 
less to  attempt  to  recover  yourself.  No,  give  up  your 
property,  sell  your  business,  and  find  something  else 
to  do." 

"  What  could  I  find?  "  said  Cdsar. 

"  Well,"  said  Pillerault,  "  look  for  a  situation.  You 
have  influential  friends,  —  the  Due  and  the  Duchesse  de 
Lenoncourt,  Madame  de  Mortsauf,  Monsieur  de  Van- 
denesse.  Write  to  them,  go  and  see  them  ;  they  might 
get  you  a  situation  in  the  royal  household  which  would 
give  you  a  thousand  crowns  or  so ;  your  wife  could 


830  CSsar  Birotteau. 

earn  as  much  more,  and  perhaps  your  daughter  also. 
The  situation  is  not  hopeless.  You  three  might  earn 
nearly  ten  thousand  francs  a  year.  In  ten  years  you 
could  pay  off  a  hundred  thousand  francs,  for  you  shall 
not  use  a  penny  of  what  you  earn  ;  your  two  women  will 
have  fifteen  hundred  francs  a  year  from  me  for  their 
expenses,  and,  as  for  you,  — we  will  see  about  that." 

Constance  and  Cesar  laid  these  wise  words  to  heart. 
Pillerault  left  them  to  go  to  the  Bourse,  which  in  those 
dajs  was  held  in  a  provisional  wooden  building  of  a 
circular  shape,  and  was  entered  from  the  Rue  Fey- 
deau.  The  failure,  already  known,  of  a  man  lately 
noted  and  envied,  excited  general  comment  in  the  upper 
commercial  circles,  which  at  that  period  were  all  "  con- 
stitutionnel."  The  gentry  of  the  Opposition  claimed  a 
monopoly  of  patriotism.  Roj'alists  might  love  the 
king,  but  to  love  your  country  was  the  exclusive  priv- 
ilege of  the  Left ;  the  people  belonged  to  it.  The 
downfall  of  a  protege  of  the  palace,  of  a  ministerialist, 
an  incorrigible  royalist  who  on  the  13th  Vendemiaire 
had  insulted  the  cause  of  liberty  by  fighting  against  the 
glorious  French  Revolution,  —  such  a  downfall  excited 
the  applause  and  tittle-tattle  of  the  Bourse.  Pillerault 
wished  to  learn  and  study  the  state  of  public  opinion. 
He  found  in  one  of  the  most  animated  groups  du  Tillet, 
Gobenheim-Keller,  Nucingen,  old  Guillaume,  and  his 
son-in-law  Joseph  Lebas,  Claparon,  Gigonnet,  Mon- 
genod,  Camusot,  Gobseck,  Adolphe  Keller,  Palma,  Chif- 
fireville,  Matifat,  Grindot,  and  Lourdois. 

"  What  caution  one  needs  to  have  !  "  said  Gobenheim 
to  du  Tillet.  "  It  was  a  mere  chance  that  one  of  my 
brothers-in-law  did  not  give  Birotteau  a  credit." 


Cisar  Birotteau.  831 

"  I  am  in  for  ten  thousand  francs,"  said  du  Tillet ; 
*'  he  asked  me  for  them  two  weeks  ago,  and  I  let  him 
have  them  on  his  own  note  without  securit}'.  But  he 
formerly  did  me  some  service,  and  I  am  willing  to  lose 
the  money." 

"  Your  nephew  has  done  like  all  the  rest,"  said  Lour- 
dois  to  Pillerault,  —  "given  balls  and  parties!  That 
a  scoundrel  should  try  to  throw  dust  in  people's  e5'es,  I 
can  understand ;  but  it  is  amazing  that  a  man  who 
passed  for  as  honest  as  the  day  should  play  those  worn- 
out,  knavish  tricks  which  we  are  always  finding  out 
and  condemning." 

"  Don't  trust  people  unless  they  live  in  hovels  like 
Claparon,"  said  Gigonnet. 

' '  Hey !  mein  freint,"  said  the  fat  Nucingen  to  du 
Tillet,  "  you  haf  joust  missed  blayingme  a  brctty  drick 
in  zenting  Pirodot  to  me.  I  don't  know,"  he  added,  ad- 
dressing Gobenheim  the  manufacturer,  "  vy  he  tid  not 
ask  me  for  fifdy  tousand  francs.  I  should  haf  gif  dem 
to  him." 

"Oh,  no.  Monsieur  le  baron,"  said  Joseph  Lebas, 
"  you  knew  very  well  that  the  Bank  had  refused  his 
paper ;  you  made  them  reject  it  in  the  committee  on 
discounts.  Tlie  affair  of  this  unfortunate  man,  for 
whom  I  still  feel  the  highest  esteem,  presents  certain 
peculiar  circumstances." 

Pillerault  pressed  the  hand  of  Joseph  Lebas. 

"  Yes,"  said  Mongenod,  "  it  seems  impossible  to  ex- 
plain what  has  happened,  unless  we  believe  that  con- 
cealed behind  Gigonnet  there  are  certain  bankers  who 
want  to  strangle  the  speculation  in  the  lauds  about  the 
Madeleine." 


832  CSsar  Birotteau, 

*'  What  has  happened  is  what  happens  always  to 
those  who  go  out  of  their  proper  business,"  said  Cla- 
paron,  hastily  interrupting  Mongenod.  "  If  he  had 
set  up  liis  own  Cephalic  Oil  instead  of  running  up  the 
price  of  all  the  land  in  Paris  by  pouncing  upon  it,  he 
might  have  lost  his  hundred  thousand  francs  with 
Roguin,  but  he  wouldn't  have  failed.  He  will  go  on 
now  under  the  name  of  Popinot." 

"  Keep  a  watch  on  Popinot,"  said  Gigonnet. 

Roguin,  in  the  parlance  of  such  worthy  merchants, 
was  now  the  "  unfortunate  Roguin."  Cesar  had  become 
"  that  wretched  Birotteau."  The  one  seemed  to  them 
excused  b}'  his  great  passion  ;  the  other  \X\ey  considered 
all  the  more  guilt}'  for  his  hai'mless  pretensions. 

Gigonnet,  after  leaving  the  Bourse,  went  round  by 
the  Rue  Perrin-Gasselin  on  his  waj'  home,  in  search  of 
Madame  Madou,  the  vendor  of  dried  fruits. 

"  Well,  old  woman,"  he  said,  with  his  coarse  good- 
humor,  "  how  goes  the  business?  " 

"  So-so,"  said  Madame  Madou,  respectfully,  offering 
her  only  armchair  to  the  usurer,  with  a  show  of  atten- 
tion she  had  never  bestowed  on  her  "  dear  defunct." 

Mother  Madou,  who  would  have  floored  a  recalciti'ant 
or  too-familiar  wagoner  and  gone  fearlessly'  to  the 
assault  of  the  Tuileries  on  the  10th  of  October,  who 
jeered  her  best  customers  and  was  capable  of  speaking 
up  to  the  king  in  the  name  of  her  associate  market- 
women,  —  Angelique  Madou  received  Gigonnet  with 
abject  respect.  Without  strength  in  his  presence, 
she  shuddered  under  his  rasping  glance.  The  lower 
classes  will  long  tremble  at  sight  of  the  executioner, 
and  Gigonnet  was  the  executioner  of  petty  commerce, 


CSsar  Birotteau.  333 

In  the  markets  no  power  on  earth  is  so  respected  as 
that  of  the  man  who  controls  the  flow  of  money ;  all 
other  human  institutions  are  as  nothing  beside  him. 
Justice  herself  takes  the  form  of  a  commissioner,  a 
familiar  personage  in  the  eyes  of  the  market ;  but 
usury  seated  behind  its  green  boxes,  —  usur}',  entreated 
with  fear  tugging  at  the  heart-strings,  dries  up  all  jest- 
ing, parches  the  throat,  lowers  the  proudest  look,  and 
makes  the  commonest  market  women  respectful. 

"  Do  )'0u  want  anything  of  me?  "  she  said. 

"  A  trifle,  a  mere  nothing.  Hold  3'ourself  ready  to 
make  good  those  notes  of  Birotteau ;  the  man  has  failed, 
and  claims  must  be  put  in  at  once.  I  will  send  you  the 
account  to-morrow  morning." 

Madame  Madou's  eyes  contracted  like  those  of  a  cat 
for  a  second,  and  then  shot  out  flames. 

"Ah,  the  villain!  Ah,  the  scoundrel!  He  came 
and  told  me  himself  he  was  a  deputy-mayor,  —  a 
trumped-up  story !  Reprobate !  is  that  what  he  calls 
business?  There  is  no  honor  among  maj'ors  ;  the  gov- 
ernment deceives  us.  Stop  !  I  '11  go  and  make  him  pay 
me;  I  will  — " 

"  Hey  !  at  such  times  everybody  looks  out  for  him- 
self, my  dear !  "  said  Gigonnet,  lifting  his  leg  with  the 
quaint  little  action  of  a  cat  fearing  to  cross  a  wet  place, 
—  a  habit  to  which  he  owed  his  nickname.  "There 
are  some  ver3'  big  wigs  in  the  matter  who  mean  to  get 
themselves  out  of  the  scrape." 

"Yes,  and  I'll  pull  my  nuts  out  of  the  fire,  too! 
Marie-Jeanne,  bring  m}-  clogs  and  m}'^  rabbit-skin 
cloak  ;  and  quick,  too,  or  I  '11  warm  you  up  with  a  box 
on  the  ear." 


884  CSsar  Birotteau. 

"There'll  be  warm  work  down  there!"  thought 
Gigonnet,  rubbing  his  hands  as  he  walked  away.  "  Du 
Tillet  will  be  satisfied ;  it  will  make  a  fine  scandal  all 
through  the  quarter.  I  don't  know  what  that  poor 
devil  of  a  perfumer  has  done  to  him ;  for  m}'^  part  1 
pity  the  fellow  as  I  do  a  dog  with  a  broken  leg.  He 
is  n't  a  man,  he  has  got  no  force." 

Madame  Madou  bore  down,  like  an  insurrectionary 
wave  from  the  Faubourg  Saint-Antoine,  upon  the  shop- 
door  of  the  hapless  Birotteau,  which  she  opened  with  ex- 
cessive violence,  for  her  walk  had  increased  her  fury. 

"  Heap  of  vermin!  I  want  my  mone^^;  I  will  have 
my  money  !  You  shall  give  me  my  mone}',  or  I  cany  ofi" 
your  scent-bags,  and  that  satin  trumper^',  and  the  fans, 
and  everything  you've  got  here,  for  my  two  thousand 
francs.  AVho  ever  heard  of  mayors  robbing  the  people? 
If  you  don't  pa}-^  me  I  '11  send  you  to  the  galleys  ;  I  '11 
go  to  the  police,  — justice  shall  be  done  !  I  won't  leave 
this  place  till  I  've  got  my  monej'." 

She  made  a  gesture  as  if  to  break  the  glass  before 
the  shelves  on  which  the  valuables  were  placed. 

"  Mother  Madou  takes  a  drop  too  much,"  whispered 
Celestin  to  his  neighbor. 

The  virago  overheard  him,  —  for  in  paroxysms  of  pas- 
sion the  organs  are  either  paralyzed  or  trebly  acute,  — 
and  she  forthwith  applied  to  Celestin's  ear  the  most 
vigorous  blow  that  ever  resounded  in  a  Parisian  per- 
fumery. 

"  Learn  to  respect  women,  my  angel,"  she  said, 
"  and  don't  smirch  the  names  of  the  people  yoxx  rob." 

"Madame,"  said  Madame  Birotteau,  entering  from 
the  back-shop,  where  she  happened  to  be  with  her  has- 


C4mr  Birotteau.  335 

band,  — whom  Pillerault  was  persuading  to  go  with  him, 
while  C^sar,  to  obey  the  law,  was  humbly  expressing 
his  willingness  to  go  to  prison, —  "  madame,  for  heaven's 
sake  do  not  raise  a  mob,  and  bring  a  crowd  upon  us  !  " 

"  Hey  !  let  them  come,"  said  the  woman  ;  "I'll  tell 
them  a  tale  that  will  make  you  laugh  the  wrong  side 
of  your  mouth.  Yes,  my  nuts  and  my  francs,  picked 
up  by  the  sweat  of  my  brow,  helped  you  to  give  balls. 
There  you  are,  dressed  like  the  queen  of  France  in 
woollen  which  you  sheared  off  the  backs  of  poor  sheep 
such  as  me  !  Good  God  !  it  would  burn  my  shoulders, 
that  it  would,  to  wear  stolen  goods  !  I  've  got  nothing 
but  rabbit-skin  to  cover  my  carcass,  but  it  is  mine ! 
Brigands,  thieves,  my  money  or — " 

She  darted  at  a  pretty  inlaid  box  containing  toilet 
articles. 

"  Put  that  down,  madame !  "  said  C^sar,  coming  for- 
ward, "  nothing  here  is  mine  ;  everything  belongs  to  my 
creditors.  I  own  nothing  but  my  own  person;  if  you 
wish  to  seize  that  and  put  me  in  prison,  I  give  you  my 
word  of  honor  "  —  the  tears  fell  from  his  eyes  —  ' '  that 
I  will  wait  here  till  you  have  me  arrested." 

The  tone  and  gesture  were  so  completely  in  keeping 
with  his  words  that  Madame  Madou's  anger  subsided. 

"  M3'  property  has  been  carried  off  by  a  notary;  I 
am  innocent  of  the  disasters  I  cause,"  continued  Cesar, 
"  but  you  shall  be  paid  in  course  of  time  if  I  have  to 
die  in  the  effort,  and  work  like  a  galley-slave  as  a  porter 
in  the  markets." 

"  Come,  you  are  a  good  man,"  said  the  market-woman. 
"  Excuse  my  words,  madame ;  but  I  may  as  well  go 
and  drown  myself,  for  Gigonnet  will  hound  me  down. 


836  C^sar  Birotteau. 

I  can't  get  any  money  for  ten  months  to  redeem  those 
damned  notes  of  yours  which  I  gave  him," 

"  Come  and  see  me  to-morrow  morning,"  said  Pille- 
rault,  showing  himself.  "  I  will  get  you  the  money 
from  one  of  my  friends,  at  five  per  cent." 

"  Hey  !  if  it  isn't  the  worthy  Pere  Pillerault !  Why, 
to  be  sure,  he's  j'our  uncle,"  she  said  to  Constance. 
"Well,  you  are  all  honest  people,  and  I  sha'n't  lose 
my  mone^^  shall  I?  To-morrow  morning,  then,  old 
fellow ! "  she  said  to  the  retired  ironmonger. 

C^sar  was  determined  to  live  on  amid  the  wreck  of 
his  fortunes  at  "  The  Queen  of  Roses,"  insisting  that  he 
would  see  his  creditors  and  explain  his  affairs  to  them 
himself.  In  spite  of  Madame  Birotteau's  earnest  en- 
treaties, Pillerault  seemed  to  approve  of  Cesar's  deci- 
sion and  took  him  back  to  his  own  room.  The  wily  old 
man  then  went  to  Monsieur  Haudry,  explained  the  case, 
and  obtained  from  him  a  prescription  for  a  sleeping 
draught,  which  he  took  to  be  made  up,  and  then  returned 
to  spend  the  evening  with  the  family.  Aided  by  Cesar- 
ine  he  induced  her  father  to  drink  with  them.  The  nar- 
cotic soon  put  Cesar  to  sleep,  and  when  he  woke  up, 
fourteen  hours  later,  he  was  in  Pillerault's  bedroom, 
Rue  des  Bourdonnais,  fairly*  imprisoned  by  the  old  man, 
who  was  sleeping  himself  on  a  cot-bed  in  the  salon. 

When  Constance  heard  the  coach  containing  Pillerault 
and  C^sar  roll  awa}"-  from  the  door,  her  courage  de- 
serted her.  Our  powers  are  often  stimulated  bj'  the 
necessity  of  upholding  some  being  feebler  than  ourselves. 
The  poor  woman  wept  to  find  herself  alone  in  her  home 
as  she  would  have  wept  for  Cesar  dead. 


CSsar  Birotteau.  337 

"  Mamma,"  said  C^sarine,  sitting  on  her  mother's 
knee,  and  caressing  her  with  the  prett}'  kittenish  grace 
which  women  only  display  to  perfection  among  them- 
selves, "you  said  that  if  I  took  up  my  life  bravely, 
you  would  have  strength  to  bear  adversity.  Don't  cry, 
dear  mother ;  I  am  ready  and  willing  to  go  into  some 
shop,  and  I  shall  never  think  again  of  what  we  once 
were.  I  shall  be  like  you  in  your  young  dajs ;  and 
you  shall  never  hear  a  complaint,  nor  even  a  regret, 
from  me.  I  have  a  hope.  Did  you  not  hear  what 
Monsieur  Anselme  said?" 

"  The  dear  boy !  he  shall  not  be  my  son-in-law  —  " 

"  Oh,  mamma !  " 

"  —  he  shall  be  my  own  son." 

"  Sorrow  has  one  good,"  said  Cesarine,  kissing  her 
mother ;  "  it  teaches  us  to  know  our  true  friends." 

The  daughter  at  last  eased  the  pain  of  the  poor  woman 
by  changing  places  and  playing  the  mother  to  her.  The 
next  morning  Constance  went  to  the  house  of  the  Due 
de  Lenoncourt,  one  of  the  gentlemen  of  the  king's  bed- 
chamber, and  left  a  letter  asking  for  an  interview  at  a 
later  hour  of  the  day.  In  the  interval  she  went  to 
Monsieur  de  la  Billardiere,  and  explained  to  him  the 
situation  in  which  Roguin's  flight  had  placed  Cesar, 
begging  him  to  go  with  her  to  the  duke  and  speak  for 
her,  as  she  feared  she  might  explain  matters  ill  herself. 
She  wanted  a  place  for  Birotteau.  Birotteau,  she  said, 
would  be  the  most  upright  of  cashiers,  —  if  there  could 
be  degrees  of  integi'ity  among  honest  men. 

"  The  King  has  just  appointed  the  Comte  de  Fontaine 
master  of  his  household  ;  there  is  no  time  to  be  lost  in 
making  the  application,"  said  the  mayor. 

22' 


888  CSaar  Biroiteau. 

At  two  o'clock  Monsieur  de  la  Billardiere  and 
Madame  Ct^sar  went  up  the  grand  staircase  of  the 
.  H6tel  de  Lenoncourt,  Rue  Saint-Dominique,  and  were 
i  ushered  into  the  presence  of  the  nobleman  whom  the 
king  preferred  to  all  others, — if  it  can  be  said  that 
Louis  XVIII.  ever  had  a  preference.  The  giacious 
welcome  of  this  great  lord,  who  belonged  to  the  small 
number  of  true  gentlemen  whom  the  preceding  century 
bequeathed  to  ours,  encouraged  Madame  Cesar.  She 
was  dignified,  yet  simple,  in  her  sorrow.  Grief  enno- 
bles even  the  plainest  people  ;  for  it  has  a  grandeur  of 
its  own ;  to  reflect  its  lustre,  a  nature  must  needs  be 
true.     Constance  was  a  woman  essentially  true. 

The  question  was,  how  to  speak  to  the  king  at  once. 
In  the  midst  of  the  conference  Monsieur  de  Vande- 
nesse  was  announced  ;  and  the  duke  exclaimed,  "  Here 
is  our  support !  " 

Madame  Birotteau  was  not  unknown  to  this  young 
man,  who  had  been  to  her  shop  two  or  three  times  in 
search  of  those  trifles  which  are  sometimes  of  more 
importance  than  greater  things.  The  duke  explained 
Monsieur  de  la  Billardiere's  wishes.  As  soon  as  he 
learned  the  misfortune  which  had  overtaken  the  godson 
of  the  Marquise  d'Uxelles,  Vandenesse  went  at  once, 
accompanied  by  Monsieur  de  la  Billardiere,  to  the 
Comte  de  Fontaine,  beggiug  Madame  Birotteau  to  wait 
their  return.  Monsieur  le  Comte  de  Fontaine  was,  like 
Monsieur  de  la  Billardiere,  one  of  those  fine  provincial 
gentlemen,  the  heroes,  almost  unknown,  who  made 
"la  Vendee."  Birotteau  was  not  a  stranger  to  him, 
for  he  had  seen  him  in  the  old  days  at  "The  Queen 
of  Roses."    Men   who  had  shed  their  blood  for  the 


CSsar  Birotteau.  339 

royal  cause  enjoyed  at  this  time  certain  privileges,  which 
the  king  kept  secret,  so  as  not  to  give  umbrage  to 
the  Liberals. 

Monsieur  de  Fontaine,  always  a  favorite  with  Louis 
XVIII. ,  was  thought  to  be  wholly  in  his  confidence. 
Not  only  did  the  count  positively  promise  a  place,  but 
he  returned  with  the  two  gentlemen  to  the  Due  de 
Lenoncourt,  and  asked  him  to  procure  for  him  an 
audience  that  very  evening ;  and  also  to  obtain  for 
Billardiere  an  audience  with  Monsieur,  who  was  greatly 
attached  to  the  old  Vendeen  diplomatist. 

The  same  evening,  the  Comte  de  Fontaine  came 
from  the  Tuileries  to  "  The  Queen  of  Roses,"  and  an- 
nounced to  Madame  Birotteau  that  as  soon  as  the  pro- 
ceedings in  bankruptcj'  were  over,  her  husband  would 
be  officiallj'  appointed  to  a  situation  in  the  Sinking- 
fund  Office,  with  a  salary  of  two  thousand  five  hundred 
francs,  —  all  the  functions  in  the  household  of  the 
king  being  overcrowded  with  noble  supernumeraries  to 
whom  promises  had  already  been  made. 

This  success  was  but  one  part  of  the  task  before 
Madame  Birotteau.  The  poor  woman  now  went  to  the 
"  Maison  du  Chat-qui-pelote,"  in  the  Rue  Saint-Denis, 
to  find  Joseph  Lebas.  As  she  walked  along  she  met 
Madame  Roguin  in  a  brilliant  equipage,  apparently 
making  purchases.  Their  eyes  met;  and  the  shame 
which  the  rich  woman  could  not  hide  as  she  looked  at 
the  ruined  woman,  gave  Constance  fresh  courage. 

"  Never  will  I  roll  in  a  carriage  bought  with  the 
money  of  others,"  she  said  to  herself. 

Joseph  Lebas  received  her  kindly,  and  she  begged 
him  to  obtain  a  place  for  C^sarine  in  some  respectable 


340  CSsar  Birotteau. 

commercial  establishment.  Lebas  made  no  promises ; 
but  eight  da3's  later  Cesarine  had  board,  lodging,  and  a 
salary  of  tliree  thousand  francs  from  one  of  the  largest 
linen-drapers  in  Paris,  who  was  about  to  open  a  branch 
establishment  in  the  quartier  des  Italiens.  Cesarine  was 
put  in  charge  of  the  desk,  and  the  superintendence  of 
the  new  shop  was  intrusted  to  her ;  she  filled,  in  fact,  a 
position  above  that  of  forewoman,  and  supplied  the 
place  of  both  master  and  mistress. 

Madame  Cesar  went  from  the  "  Chat-qui-pelote  "  to 
the  Rue  des  Cinq-Diamants,  and  asked  Popinot  to  let 
her  take  charge  of  his  accounts  and  do  his  writing,  and 
also  manage  his  household.  Popinot  felt  that  his  was 
the  oul}'  house  where  Cesar's  wife  could  meet  with  the 
respect  that  was  due  to  her,  and  find  emplo3'ment  with- 
out humiliation.  The  noble  lad  gave  her  three  thousand 
francs  a  year,  her  board,  and  his  own  room  ;  going  him- 
self into  an  attic  occupied  by  one  of  his  clerks.  Thus 
it  happened  that  the  beautiful  woman,  after  one  month's 
enjoyment  of  her  sumptuous  home,  came  to  live  in 
the  wretched  chamber  looking  into  a  damp,  dark  court, 
where  Gaudissart,  Anselme,  and  Finot  had  inaugurated 
Cephalic  Oil. 

When  Molineux,  appointed  agent  by  the  Court  of 
Commerce,  came  to  take  possession  of  Cesar  Birotteau's 
assets,  Madame  Birotteau,  aided  by  Celestin,  went 
over  the  inventory  with  him.  Then  the  mother  and 
daughter,  plainly  dressed,  left  the  house  on  foot  and 
went  to  their  uncle  Pillerault's,  without  once  turning 
their  heads  to  look  at  the  home  where  they  had  passed 
the  greater  part  of  their  lives.  Thej'  walked  in  silence  to 
the  Rue  des  Bourdonnais,  where  they  were  to  dine  with 


CSsar  Birotteau.  341 

C^sar  for  the  first  time  since  their  separation.  It  was  a 
sad  dinner.  Each  had  had  time  for  reflection,  —  time  to 
weigh  the  duties  before  them,  and  sound  the  depths  of 
their  courage.  All  three  were  like  sailors  ready  to  face 
foul  weather,  but  not  deceived  as  to  their  danger.  Birot- 
teau gatliered  courage  as  he  was  told  of  the  interest  peo- 
ple in  high  places  had  taken  in  finding  employment  for 
him ;  but  he  wept  when  he  heard  what  his  daughter  was 
to  become.  Then  he  held  out  his  hand  to  his  wife,  as  he 
saw  the  courage  with  which  she  had  returned  to  labor. 
Old  Pillerault's  e3'es  were  wet,  for  the  last  time  in  his 
life,  as  he  looked  at  these  three  beings  folded  together 
in  one  embrace ;  from  the  centre  of  which  Birotteau, 
feeblest  of  the  three  and  the  most  stricken,  raised  his 
hands,  saying :  • — 

"  Let  us  have  hope !  " 

"You  shall  live  with  me,"  said  Pillerault,  "  for  the 
sake  of  economy ;  you  shall  have  my  chamber,  and 
share  my  bread.  I  have  long  been  lonely ;  j'ou  shpU 
replace  the  poor  child  I  lost.  From  my  house  it  is  b"t 
a  step  to  3'our  office  in  the  Rue  de  I'Oratoire." 

"God  of  mercy!"  exclaimed  Birotteau;  '"in  t^i^e 
worst  of  the  storm  a  star  guides  me." 

Resignation  is  the  last  stage  of  man's  misforturs. 
From  this  moment  Cesar's  downfall  was  accomplishe*'* ; 
he  accepted  it,  and  strength  returned  to  him. 


342  C6iar  Birotteau. 


VI. 


After  admitting  his  insolvency  and  filing  his  schedule, 
a  merchant  should  find  some  retired  spot  in  France,  or 
in  foreign  countries,  where  he  may  live  without  taking 
part  in  life,  like  the  child  that  he  is ;  for  the  law  de- 
clares him  a  minor,  and  not  competent  for  any  legal 
action  as  a  citizen.  This,  however,  is  never  done. 
Before  reappearing  he  obtains  a  safe-conduct,  which 
neither  judge  nor  creditor  ever  refuses  to  give  ;  for  if  the 
debtor  were  found  without  this  exeat  he  would  be  put  in 
prison,  while  with  it  he  passes  safely,  as  with  a  flag 
of  truce,  through  the  enemy's  camp,  —  not  by  way  of 
curiosit}',  but  for  the  purpose  of  defeating  the  severe 
intention  of  the  laws  relating  to  bankruptcy.  The 
effect  of  all  laws  which  touch  private  interests  is  to 
develop,  enormously,  the  knavery  of  men's  minds.  The 
object  of  a  bankrupt,  like  that  of  other  persons  whose 
interests  are  thwarted  by  any  law,  is  to  make  void  the 
law  in  his  particular  case. 

The  status  of  civil  death  in  which  the  bankrupt  re- 
mains a  chr^'Salis  lasts  for  about  three  months,  —  a 
period  required  b}'  formalities  which  precede  a  confer- 
ence at  which  the  creditors  and  their  debtor  sign  a  treaty 
of  peace,  by  which  the  bankrupt  is  allowed  the  ability 
to  make  pa3^ments,  and  receives  a  bankrupt's  certificate. 
This  transaction  is  called  the  concordaty  —  a  word  imply- 


C6%ar  Birotteau.  343 

ing,  perhaps,  that  peace  reigns  after  the  storm  and  stress 
of  interests  violently  in  opposition. 

As  soon  as  the  insolvent's  schedule  is  filed,  the  Coui"t 
of  commerce  appoints  a  judge-commissioner,  whose  duty 
it  is  to  look  after  the  interests  of  the  still  unknown 
body  of  creditors,  and  also  to  protect  the  insolvent 
against  the  vexatious  measures  of  angry  creditors,  — 
a  double  office,  which  might  be  nobly  magnified  if  the 
judges  had  time  to  attend  to  it.  The  commissioner, 
however,  delegates  an  agent  to  take  possession  of  the 
property,  the  securities,  and  the  merchandise,  and  to 
verify  the  schedule ;  when  this  is  done,  the  court  ap- 
points a  day  for  a  meeting  of  the  creditors,  notice 
of  which  is  trumpeted  forth  in  the  newspapers.  The 
creditors,  real  or  pretended,  ai'e  expected  to  be  present 
and  choose  the  provisional  assignees,  who  are  to  super- 
sede the  agent,  step  into  the  insolvent's  shoes,  become 
by  a  fiction  of  law  the  insolvent  himself,  and  are  au- 
thorized to  liquidate  the  business,  negotiate  all  trans- 
actions, sell  the  property,  —  in  short,  recast  everything 
in  the  interest  of  the  creditors,  provided  the  bankrupt 
makes  no  opposition.  The  majority  of  Parisian  failures 
stop  short  at  this  point,  and  the  reason  is  as  follows : 

The  appointment  of  one  or  more  permanent  assignees 
is  an  act  which  gives  opportunity^  for  the  bitterest  action 
ou  the  part  of  creditors  who  are  thirsting  for  vengeance, 
who  have  been  tricked,  baffled,  cozened,  trapped,  duped, 
robbed,  and  cheated.  Although,  as  a  general  thing,  all 
creditors  are  cheated,  robbed,  duped,  trapped,  cozened, 
tricked,  and  baffled,  yet  there  is  not  in  all  Paris  a  com- 
mercial passion  able  to  keep  itself  alive  for  ninety  days. 
The  paper  of  commerce  alone  maintains  its  vitality, 


344  CSsar  Birotteau. 

and  rises,  athirst  for  payment,  in  three  months.  Before 
ninety'  days  are  over,  the  creditors,  worn  out  bj'  coming 
and  going,  by  the  marches  and  countermarches  which  a 
failure  entails,  are  asleep  at  the  side  of  their  excellent 
little  wives.  This  ma}^  help  a  stranger  to  understand 
why  it  is  that  the  provisional  in  France  is  so  often  the 
definitive  :  out  of  every  thousand  provisional  assignees, 
not  more  than  five  ever  become  permanent.  The  sub- 
sidence of  passions  stirred  up  by  failures  is  thus  ac- 
counted for. 

But  here  it  becomes  necessary  to  explain  to  persons 
who  have  not  the  happiness  to  be  in  business  the  whole 
drama  of  bankruptc}',  so  as  to  make  them  understand 
how  it  constitutes  in  Paris  a  monstrous  legal  farce ;  and 
also  how  the  bankruptcy  of  Cesar  Birotteau  was  a  signal 
exception  to  the  general  rule. 

This  fine  commercial  drama  is  in  three  distinct  acts, 
—  the  agent's  act,  the  assignee's  act,  the  concordat,  or 
certificate-of-bankruptcy  act.  Like  all  theatrical  per- 
formances, it  is  plajed  with  a  double  intent :  it  is  put 
upon  the  stage  for  the  public  eye,  but  it  has  also  its 
hidden  purpose ;  there  is  one  performance  for  the  pit, 
and  another  for  the  side-scenes.  Posted  in  the  side- 
scenes  are  the  bankrupt  and  his  solicitor,  the  attorney 
of  the  creditors,  the  assignees,  the  agent,  and  the  judge- 
commissioner  himself.  No  one  out  of  Paris  knows,  and 
no  one  in  Paris  does  not  know,  that  a  judge  of  the  com- 
mercial courts  is  the  most  extraordinary  magistrate  that 
society'  ever  allowed  itself  to  create.  This  judge  may 
live  in  dread  of  his  own  justice  at  any  moment.  Paris 
has  seen  the  president  of  her  courts  of  commerce  file  his 
own  schedule.    Instead  of  being  an  experienced  retired 


CSsar  Birotteau.  345 

merchant,  to  whom  the  magistracy  might  properly  be 
made  the  reward  of  a  pure  life,  this  judge  is  a  trader, 
bending  under  the  weight  of  enormous  enterprises,  and 
at  the  head  of  some  large  commercial  house.  The  sine 
qua  non  condition  in  the  election  of  this  functionar}', 
whose  business  it  is  to  pass  judgment  on  the  avalanche  of 
commercial  suits  incessantly  rolling  through  the  courts, 
is  that  he  shall  have  the  greatest  difficulty  in  managing 
his  own  affairs.  This  commercial  tribunal,  far  from  be- 
ing made  a  useful  means  of  transition  whereby  a  mer- 
chant might  rise,  without  ridicule,  into  the  ranks  of  the 
nobility,  is  in  point  of  fact  made  up  of  traders  who 
are  trading,  and  who  are  liable  to  suffer  for  their  judg- 
ments when  they  next  meet  with  dissatisfied  parties,  — 
very  much  as  Birotteau  was  now  punished  by  du 
Tillet. 

The  commissioner  is  of  necessity  a  personage  be- 
fore whom  much  is  said ;  who  listens,  recollecting  all 
the  while  his  own  interests,  and  leaves  the  cause 
to  the  assignees  and  the  attorneys,  —  except,  possibly', 
in  a  few  strange  and  unusual  cases  where  dishonesty 
is  accompanied  bj'  peculiar  circumstances,  when  the 
judge  usually  observes  that  the  debtor,  or  the  credit- 
ors, as  it  may  happen,  are  clever  people.  This  per- 
sonage, set  up  in  the  drama  like  the  royal  bust  in  a 
public  audience-chamber,  maj'  be  found  earlj-  in  the 
morning  at  his  wood-yard,  if  he  sells  wood  ;  in  his  shop, 
if,  like  Birotteau,  he  is  a  perfumer ;  or,  in  the  evenings, 
at  his  dessert  after  dinner,  —  always,  it  should  be  added, 
in  a  terrible  huny  ;  as  a  general  thing  he  is  silent.  Let 
us,  however,  do  justice  to  the  law :  the  legislation  that 
governs  his  functions,  and  which  was  pushed  through  m 


346  CSsar  Birotteau. 

haste,  has  tied  the  hands  of  this  commissioner;  and 
it  sometimes  happens  that  he  sanctions  fraud  which  he 
cannot  hinder,  —  as  the  reader  will  shortly  see. 

The  agent  to  whom  the  judge  delegates  the  first  pro- 
ceedings, instead  of  serving  the  creditors,  may  become 
if  he  please  a  tool  of  the  debtor.  Every  one  hopes  to 
swell  his  own  gains  by  getting  on  the  right  side  of  the 
debtor,  who  is  alwa3's  supposed  to  keep  back  a  hidden 
treasure.  The  agent  may  make  himself  useful  to  both 
parties ;  on  the  one  hand  by  not  laying  the  bankrupt's 
business  in  ashes,  on  the  other  by  snatching  a  few  mor- 
sels for  men  of  influence,  —  in  short,  he  runs  with  the 
hare  and  holds  with  the  hounds.  A  clever  agent  has 
frequently  arrested  judgment  by  bujing  up  the  debts 
and  releasing  the  merchant,  who  then  rebounds  like  an 
india-rubber  ball.  The  agent  chooses  the  best-stocked 
crib,  whether  it  leads  him  to  cover  the  largest  creditors 
and  shear  the  debtor,  or  to  sacrifice  the  creditors  for 
the  future  prosperity  of  the  restored  merchant.  The 
action  of  the  agent  is  decisive.  This  man,  together 
with  the  bankrupt's  solicitor,  plays  the  utility  role  in 
the  drama,  where  it  may  be  said  neither  the  one  nor 
the  other  would  accept  a  part  if  not  sure  of  their  fees. 
Taking  the  average  of  a  thousand  failures,  an  agent 
will  be  found  nine  hundred  and  fifty  times  on  the  side 
of  the  bankrupt.  At  the  period  of  our  history,  the 
solicitors  frequently-  sought  the  judge  with  the  request 
that  he  would  appoint  an  agent  whom  they  proposed  to 
him,  —  a  man,  as  they  said,  to  whom  the  affairs  of  the 
bankrupt  were  well-known,  who  would  know  how  to 
reconcile  the  interests  of  the  whole  body  of  creditors 
■with  those  of  a  man  honorably  overtaken  by  misfortune. 


CSsar  Birotteau.  347 

For  some  years  past  the  best  judges  have  sought  the 
advice  of  the  solicitors  in  this  matter  for  the  purpose^  of 
not  taking  it,  endeavoring  to  appoint  some  other  agent 
quasi  virtuous. 

During  this  act  of  the  drama  the  creditors,  real 
or  pretended,  come  forward  to  select  the  provisional 
assignees,  who  are  often,  as  we  have  said,  the  final  ones. 
In  this  electoral  assembly'  all  creditors  have  the  right 
to  vote,  whether  the  sum  owing  to  them  is  fift}'  sous, 
or  fifty  thousand  francs.  This  assembly,  in  which  are 
found  pretended  creditors  introduced  b}^  the  bankrupt, 
—  the  only  electors  who  never  fail  to  come  to  the  meet- 
ing, —  proposes  the  whole  body  of  creditors  as  candi- 
dates from  among  whom  the  commissioner,  a  president 
without  power,  is  supposed  to  select  the  assignees. 
Thus  it  happens  that  the  judge  almost  alwaj-s  ap- 
points as  assignees  those  creditors  whom  it  suits  the 
bankrupt  to  have,  —  another  abuse  which  makes  the 
catastrophe  of  bankruptcy  one  of  the  most  burlesque 
dramas  to  which  justice  ever  lent  her  name.  The 
honorable  bankrupt  overtaken  by  misfortune  is  then 
master  of  the  situation,  and  proceeds  to  legalize  the 
theft  he  premeditated.  As  a  rule,  the  pett}-  trades  of 
Paris  are  guiltless  in  this  respect.  When  a  shopkeeper 
gets  as  far  as  making  an  assignment,  the  worth}'  man 
has  usually  sold  his  wife's  shawl,  pawned  his  plate,  left 
no  stone  unturned,  and  succumbs  at  last  with  empty 
hands,  ruined,  and  without  enough  money  to  pay  his 
attorney,  who  in  consequence  cares  little  for  him. 

The  law  requires  that  the  concordat,  at  which  is 
granted  the  bankrupt's  certificate  that  i-emits  to  the 
merchant  a  portion  of  his  debt,  and  restores  to  him  the 


848  C6iar  Birotteau. 

right  of  managing  his  affairs,  shall  be  attended  by  a 
majority  of  the  creditors,  and  also  that  the}-  shall  repre- 
sent a  certain  proportion  of  the  debt.  This  important 
action  brings  out  much  clever  diplomacy,  on  the  part  of 
the  bankrupt,  his  assignees,  and  his  solicitor,  among  the 
contending  interests  which  cross  and  jostle  each  other. 
A  usual  and  very  common  manoeuvre  is  to  offer  to  that 
section  of  the  creditors  who  make  up  in  number  and 
amount  the  majority  required  by  law  certain  premiums, 
which  the  debtor  consents  to  pay  over  and  above  the 
dividend  publiel}'  agreed  upon.  This  monstrous  fraud 
is  without  remedy.  The  thirty  commercial  courts  which 
up  to  the  present  time  have  followed  one  after  the 
other,  have  each  known  of  it,  for  all  have  practised  it. 
Enlightened  by  experience,  they  have  lately  tried  to 
render  void  such  fraudulent  agreements ;  and  as  the 
bankrupts  have  reason  to  complain  of  the  extortion, 
the  judges  had  some  hope  of  reforming  to  that  extent 
the  system  of  bankruptcy.  The  attempt,  however,  will 
end  in  producing  something  still  more  immoral ;  for  the 
creditors  will  devise  other  rascally  methods,  which  the 
judges  will  condemn  as  judges,  but  b}'  which  they  will 
profit  as  merchants. 

Another  much-used  stratagem,  and  one  to  which  we 
owe  the  term  "  serious  and  legitimate  creditor,"  is  that 
of  creating  creditors, — just  as  du  Tillet  created  a  banker 
and  a  banking-house,  —  and  introducing  a  certain  quan- 
tity of  Claparons  under  whose  skin  the  bankrupt  hides, 
diminishing  by  just  so  much  the  dividends  of  the  true 
creditors,  and  laying  up  for  the  honest  man  a  store  for 
the  future  ;  alwa3's,  however,  providing  a  sufficient  ma- 
jority of  votes  and  debts  to  secure  the  passage  of  his 


C6mr  Birotteau.  349 

certificate.  The  "gay  and  illegitimate  creditors"  are 
like  ftilse  electors  admitted  into  the  electoral  college. 
What  chance  has  the  "  serious  and  legitimate  creditor" 
against  the  "  gay  and  illegitimate  creditor  "  ?  Shall  he 
get  rid  of  him  by  attacking  him?  How  can  he  do  it? 
To  drive  out  the  intruder  the  legitimate  creditor  must 
sacrifice  his  time,  his  own  business,  and  pa}'  an  attor- 
ney to  help  him ;  while  the  said  attorney,  making  little 
out  of  it,  prefers  to  manage  the  bankruptcy  in  another 
capacit^y,  and  therefore  works  foe  the  genuine  creditor 
without  vigor. 

To  dislodge  the  illegitimate  creditor  it  is  necessary 
to  thiead  the  labyrinth  of  proceedings  in  bankruptc}'^, 
search  among  past  events,  ransack  accounts,  obtain  by 
injunction  the  books  of  the  false  creditors,  show  the 
improbability  of  the  fiction  of  their  existence,  prove 
it  to  the  judges,  sue  for  justice,  go  and  come,  and  stir 
up  sympathy ;  and,  finallj',  to  charge  like  Don  Quixote 
upon  each  "  gay  and  illegitimate  creditor,"  who  if  con- 
victed of  ' '  gayet}^ "  withdraws  from  court,  saying  with  a 
bow  to  the  judges,  "  Excuse  me,  yoxx  are  mistaken,  I  am 
very  '  serious.' "  All  this  without  prejudice  to  the  rights 
of  the  bankrupt,  who  may  carry  Don  Quixote  and  his 
remonstrance  to  the  upper  courts ;  during  which  time 
Don  Quixote's  own  business  is  suflTering,  and  he  is 
liable  to  become  a  bankrupt  himself. 

The  upshot  of  all  this  is,  that  in  point  of  fact 
the  debtor  appoints  his  assignees,  audits  his  own 
accounts,  and  draws  up  the  certificate  of  bankruptcy 
himself. 

Given  these  premises,  it  is  easy  to  imagine  the  de- 
vices of  Frontin,  the  trickeries  of  Sganarelle,  the  lies  of 


850  CSsar  Birotteau. 

Mascarille,  and  the  empty  bags  of  Scapin  which  such 
a  system  develops.  There  has  never  been  a  failure 
which  did  not  generate  enough  matter  to  fill  the  four- 
teen volumes  of  "Clarissa  Harlowe,"  if  an  author  could 
be  found  to  describe  them.  A  single  example  will 
suflice.  The  illustrious  Gobseck,  —  ruler  of  Palma, 
Gigonuet,  Werbrust,  Keller,  Nucingen,  and  the  like,  — 
being  concerned  in  a  failure  where  he  attempted  to 
roughly  handle  the  insolvent,  who  had  managed  to  get 
the  better  of  him,  obtained  notes  from  his  debtor  for 
an  amount  which  together  with  the  declared  dividend 
made  up  the  sum  total  of  his  loss.  These  notes  were 
to  fall  due  after  the  concordat.  Gobseck  then  brought 
about  a  settlement  in  the  concordat  by  which  sixt^'-five 
per  cent  was  remitted  to  the  bankrupt.  Thus  the 
creditors  were  swindled  in  the  interest  of  Gobseck. 
But  the  bankrupt  had  signed  the  illicit  notes  with  the 
name  of  his  insolvent  firm,  and  he  was  therefore  able  to 
bring  them  under  the  reduction  of  sixt^'-five  per  cent. 
Gobseck,  the  great  Gobseck,  received  scarcely  fifty  per 
cent  on  his  loss.  From  that  day  forth  he  bowed  to  his 
debtor  with  ironical  respect. 

As  all  operations  undertaken  by  an  insolvent  within 
ten  da^s  before  his  failure  can  be  impeached,  prudent 
men  are  careful  to  enter  upon  certain  affairs  with  a  cer- 
tain number  of  creditors  whose  interest,  like  that  of  the 
bankrupt,  is  to  arrive  at  the  concordat  as  fast  as  pos- 
sible. Skilful  creditors  will  approach  dull  creditors  or 
very  busy  ones,  give  an  ugly  look  to  the  failure,  and 
buy  up  their  claims  at  half  what  thej'  are  worth  at  the 
liquidation ;  in  this  way  they  get  back  their  money 
partly  by  the  dividend  on  their  own  claims,  partly  from 


CSsar  Birotteau.  351 

the  half,  or  third,  or  fourth,  gained  on  these  purchased 
claims. 

A  failure  is  the  closure,  more  or  less  hermetically 
tight,  of  a  house  where  pillage  has  left  a  few  remaining 
bags  of  silver.  Lucky  the  man  who  can  get  in  at  a 
window,  slide  down  a  chimney,  creep  in  through  the 
cellar  or  through  a  hole,  and  seize  a  bag  to  swell  his 
share  !  In  the  general  rout,  the  sauve  qui  peut  of  B^rd- 
sina  is  passed  from  mouth  to  mouth ;  all  is  legal  and 
illegal,  false  and  true,  honest  and  dishonest.  A  man  is 
admired  if  he  "  covers"  himself.  To  "  cover"  himself 
means  that  he  seizes  securities  to  the  detriment  of  the 
other  creditors.  France  has  lately  rung  with  the  dis- 
cussion of  an  immense  failure  that  took  place  in  a  town 
where  one  of  the  upper  courts  holds  its  sittings,  and 
where  the  judges,  having  current  accounts  with  the 
banki-upts,  wore  such  heavy  india-rubber  mantles  that 
the  mantle  of  justice  was  rubbed  into  holes.  It  was 
absolutely  necessary,  in  order  to  avert  legitimate  sus- 
picion, to  send  the  case  for  judgment  in  another  court. 
There  was  neither  judge  nor  agent  nor  supreme  court 
in  the  region  where  the  failure  took  place  that  could  be 
trusted. 

This  alarming  commercial  tangle  is  so  well  under- 
stood in  Paris,  that  unless  a  merchant  is  involved  to  a 
large  amount  he  accepts  a  failure  as  total  shipwreck 
without  insurance,  passes  it  to  his  profit-and-loss  ac- 
count, and  does  not  commit  the  folly  of  wasting  time 
upon  it ;  he  contents  himself  with  brewing  his  own 
malt.  As  to  the  petty  trader,  worried  about  his  monthly 
payments,  busied  in  pushing  the  chariot  of  his  little 
fortunes,   a   long   and    costly  legal    process    terrifies 


852  CSsar  Birotteau. 

him.  He  gives  up  trying  to  see  his  way,  imitates  the 
substantial  merchant,  bows  his  head  and  accepts  his 
loss. 

The  wholesale  merchants  seldom  fail,  nowadays  ;  they 
make  friendly  liquidations ;  the  creditors  take  what  is 
given  to  them,  and  hand  in  their  receipts.  In  this  way 
many  things  are  avoided,  —  dishonor,  judicial  delays, 
fees  to  lawyers,  and  the  depreciation  of  merchandise. 
All  parties  think  that  bankruptcy  will  give  less  in  the 
end  than  liquidation.  There  are  now  more  liquidations 
than  bankruptcies  in  Paris. 

The  assignee's  act  in  the  drama  is  intended  to  prove 
that  every  assignee  is  incorruptible,  and  that  no  collu- 
sion has  ever  existed  between  any  of  them  and  the 
bankrupt.  The  pit  —  which  has  all,  more  or  less,  been 
assignee  in  its  day — knows  very  well  that  every  assignee 
is  a  "  covered  "  merchant.  It  listens,  and  believes  as  it 
likes.  After  three  months  employed  in  auditing  the 
debtor  and  creditor  accounts,  the  time  comes  for  the 
concordat.  The  provisional  assignees  make  a  little 
report  at  the  meeting,  of  which  the  following  is  the 
usual  formula :  — 

Messieurs  i  —  There  is  owing  to  the  whole  of  us,  in  bulk, 
about  a  million.  We  have  dismantled  our  man  like  a  con- 
demned frigate.  The  nails,  iron,  wood,  and  copper  wiU 
bring  about  three  hundred  thousand  francs.  We  shall  thus 
get  about  thirty  per  cent  of  our  money.  Happy  in  obtaining 
this  amount,  when  our  debtor  might  have  left  us  only  one 
hundred  thousand,  we  hereby  declare  him  an  Aristides;  we 
vote  him  a  premium  and  crown  of  encouragement,  and  pro- 
pose to  leave  him  to  manage  his  assets,  giving  him  ten  or 
twelve  years  in  which  to  pay  us  the  fifty  per  cent  which  he 


CSmr  Birotteau.  353 

has  been  so  good  as  to  offer  us.  Here  is  the  certificate  of 
bankruptcy ;  have  the  goodness  to  walk  up  to  the  desk  and 
sign  it. 

At  this  speech,  all  the  fortunate  creditors  congratu- 
late each  other  and  shake  hands.  After  the  ratification 
of  the  certificate,  the  bankrupt  becomes  once  more  a 
merchant,  precisely  such  as  he  was  before  ;  he  receives 
back  his  securities,  he  continues  his  business,  he  is  not 
deprived  of  the  power  to  fail  again,  on  the  promised 
dividend,  —  an  additional  little  failure  which  often 
occurs,  like  the  birth  of  a  child  nine  months  after  the 
mother  has  married  her  daughter. 

If  the  certificate  of  bankruptcy  is  not  granted,  the 
creditors  then  select  the  permanent  assignees,  take 
extreme  measures,  and  form  an  association  to  get  pos- 
session of  the  whole  property  and  the  business  of  their 
debtor,  seizing  ever}thing  that  he  has  or  ever  will  have, 
—  his  inheritance  from  his  father,  his  mother,  his  aunt, 
et  ccetera.  This  stem  measure  can  only  be  carried 
through  by  an  association  of  creditots. 

There  are  therefore  two  sorts  of  failure,  —  the  fail- 
ure of  the  merchant  who  means  to  repossess  himself  of 
his  business,  and  the  failure  of  the  merchant  who  has 
fallen  into  the  water  and  is  willing  to  sink  to  the  bot- 
tom. Pillerault  knew  the  difference.  It  was,  to  his 
thinking  and  to  that  of  Ragon,  as  hard  to  come  out 
pure  from  the  first  as  to  come  out  safe  from  the  second. 
After  advising  Cdsar  to  abandon  everj^thing  to  his 
creditors,  he  went  to  the  most  honorable  solicitor  in 
such  matters,  that  immediate  steps  might  be  taken  to 
liquidate  the  failure  and  put  everything  at  once  at  the 


854  C4»ar  Birotteau. 

disposition  of  the  creditors.  The  law  requires  that 
while  the  drama  is  being  acted,  the  creditors  shall  pro- 
vide for  the  support  of  the  bankrupt  and  his  family. 
Pillerault  notified  the  commissioner  that  he  would  him- 
self supply''  the  wants  of  his  niece  and  nephew. 

Du  Tillet  had  worked  all  things  together  to  make 
the  failure  a  prolonged  agony  for  his  old  master ;  and 
this  is  how  he  did  it.  Time  is  so  precious  in  Paris 
that  it  is  customary,  when  two  assignees  are  appointed, 
for  only  one  to  attend  to  the  afiair :  the  dut}'^  of  the 
other  is  merely  formal,  —  he  approves  and  signs,  like 
the  second  notary  in  notarial  deeds.  By  this  means, 
the  largest  failures  in  Paris  are  so  vigorously  handled 
that,  in  spite  of  the  law's  delays,  they  are  adjusted, 
settled,  and  secured  with  such  rapidity  that  within  a 
hundred  days  the  judge  can  echo  the  atrocious  saying 
of  the  Minister,  —  ' '  Order  reigns  in  Warsaw." 

Du  Tillet  meant  to  compass  Cesar's  commercial 
death.  The  names  of  the  assignees  selected  through 
the  influence  of  dCi  Tillet  were  ver}^  significant  to  Piller- 
ault. Monsieur  Bidault,  called  Gigonnet,  —  the  prin- 
cipal creditor,  —  was  the  one  to  take  no  active  part ; 
and  Molineux,  the  mischievous  old  man  who  lost  noth- 
ing by  the  failure,  was  to  manage  everything.  Du 
Tillet  flung  the  noble  commercial  carcass  to  the  lit- 
tle jackal,  that  he  might  torment  it  as  he  devoured 
it.  After  the  meeting  at  whicih  the  creditors  ap- 
pointed the  assignees,. little  Molineux  returned  home 
"honored,"  so  he  said,  "by  the  suffrages  of  his  fel- 
low-citizens ; "  happy  in  the  prospect  of  hectoring 
Birotteau,  just  as  a  child  delights  in  having  an  in- 
sect to  maltreat.    The  landlord,  astride  of  his  hobby, 


CSaar  Birotteau.  355 

—  the  law,  —  begged  du  Tillet  to  favor  him  with  his 
ideas ;  and  he  bought  a  copy  of  the  commercial  Code. 
Happil}^,  Joseph  Lebas,  cautioned  by  Pillerault,  had 
already  requested  the  president  of  the  Board  of  Com- 
merce to  select  a  sagacious  and  well-meaning  commis- 
sioner. Gobenheim-Keller,  whom  du  Tillet  hoped  to 
have,  found  himself  displaced  by  Monsieur  Camusot, 
a  substitute-judge, — a  rich  silk-merchant,  Liberal  in 
politics,  and  the  owner  of  the  house  in  which  Pillerault 
lived ;  a  man  counted  honorable. 

One  of  the  cruellest  scenes  of  Cesar's  life  was  his 
forced  conference  with  little  Molineux,  —  the  being  he 
had  once  regarded  as  a  nonentity,  who  now  by  a  fiction 
of  law  had  become  Cesar  Birotteau.  He  was  compelled 
to  go  to  the  Cour  Batave,  to  mount  the  six  flights,  and 
re-enter  the  miserable  appartement  of  the  old  man,  now 
his  custodian,  his  quasi  judge,  —  the  representative  of 
his  creditors.     Pillerault  accompanied  him. 

"  What  is  the  matter?"  said  the  old  man,  as  Cesar 
gave  vent  to  an  exclamation. 

"  Ah,  uncle  !  you  do  not  know  the  sort  of  man  this 
Molineux  is !  " 

"  I  have,  seen  him  from  time  to  time  for  fifteen  years 
past  at  the  cafe  David,  where  he  plays  dominoes. 
That  is  why  I  have  come  with  3'ou." 

Monsieur  Molineux  showed  the  utmost  politeness  to 
Pillerault,  and  much  disdainful  condescension  to  the 
bankrupt;  he  had  thought  over  his  part,  studied  the 
shades  of  his  demeanor,  andi|)repared  his  ideas. 

"What  information  is  it  that  3'ou  need?"  asked 
Pillerault.     "  There  is  no  dispute  as  to  the  claims." 


356  Ciiar  Birotteau. 

"  Oh,"  said  little  Molineux,  "  the  claims  are  in 
order,  —  thej!^  have  been  examined.  The  creditors  are 
all  serious  and  legitimate.  But  the  law,  monsieur,  — 
the  law !  The  expenditures  of  the  bankrupt  have  been 
disproportioned  to  his  fortune.  It  appears  that  the 
ball  —  " 

"  At  which  you  were  present,"  interrupted  Pillerault. 

"  —  cost  nearly  sixty  thousand  francs,  and  at  that 
time  the  assets  of  the  insolvent  amounted  to  not  more 
than  one  hundred  and  a  few  thousand  francs.  There 
is  cause  to  arraign  the  bankrupt  on  a  charge  of  wilful 
bankruptcy." 

"Is  that  your  intention?"  said  Pillerault,  noticing  the 
despondency  into  which  these  words  had  cast  Birotteau. 

"Monsieur,  I  make  a  distinction  ;  the  Sieur  Birotteau 
was  a  member  of  the  municipality  —  " 

"You  have  not  sent  for  us,  I  presume,  to  explain 
that  we  are  to  be  brought  into  a  criminal  police  court?" 
said  Pillerault.  ' '  The  cafe  David  would  laugh  finely 
at  3'our  conduct  this  evening." 

The  opinion  of  the  cafe  David  seemed  to  frighten  the 
old  man,  who  looked  at  Pillerault  with  a  startled  air. 
He  had  counted  on  meeting  Birotteau  alone,  intending 
to  pose  as  the  sovereign  arbiter  of  his  fate,  —  a  legal 
Jupiter.  He  meant  to  frighten  him  with  the  thunder- 
bolt of  an  accusation,  to  brandish  the  axe  of  a  crimi- 
nal charge  over  his  head,  enjoy  his  fears  and  his  terrora, 
and  then  allow  himself  to  be  touched  and  softened,  and 
persuaded  at  last  to  restore  his  victim  to  a  life  of  per- 
petual gratitude.  Instea<i  of  his  insect,  he  had  got  hold 
of  an  old  commercial  sphinx. 

"  Monsieur,"  he  replied,  "I  see  nothing  to  laugh  at." 


CSsar  Birotteau.  857 

"Excuse  me,"  said  Pillerault.  "You  have  negotiated 
largely-  with  Monsieur  Claparon ;  you  have  neglected 
the  interests  of  the  main  body  of  the  creditors,  so  as  to 
make  sure  that  certain  claims  shall  have  a  preference. 
Now  I  can  as  one  of  the  creditors  interfere.  The 
commissioner  is  to  be  taken  into  account." 

"  Monsieur,"  said  Molineux,  "  I  am  incorruptible." 

"I  am  aware  of  it,"  said  Pillerault.  "You  have 
only  taken  your  iron  out  of  the  fire,  as  they  say.  You 
are  keen ;  3 ou  are  acting  just  as  you  do  with  jour 
tenants  —  " 

"  Oh,  monsieur!  "  said  the  assignee,  suddenly  drop- 
ping into  the  landlord,  — just  as  the  cat  metamorphosed 
into  a  woman  ran  after  a  mouse  when  she  caught  sight 
of  it,  —  "  my  affair  of  the  Rue  Montorgueil  is  not  3'et 
settled.  What  they  call  an  impediment  has  arisen. 
The  tenant  is  the  chief  tenant.  This  conspirator  de- 
clares that  as  he  has  paid  a  year  in  advance,  and  having 
only  one  more  year  to  "  —  here  Pillerault  gave  Cesar  a 
look  which  advised  him  to  pay  strict  attention —  "  and, 
the  3'ear  being  paid  for,  that  he  has  the  right  to  take 
away  his  furniture.  I  shall  sue  him !  I  must  hold  on 
to  my  securities  to  the  last ;  he  may  owe  something  for 
repairs  before  the  year  is  out." 

"But,"  said  Pillerault,  "the  law  only  allows  you 
to  take  furniture  as  security  for  the  rent  — " 

"And  its  accessories!"  cried  Molineux,  assailed  in 
his  trenches.  "That  article  in  the  Code  has  been 
interpreted  by  various  judgments  rendered  in  the  mat- 
ter: however,  there  ought  to  be  legislative  rectifica- 
tion of  it.  At  this  very  moment  I  am  elaborating  a 
memorial  to  his  Highness,  the  Keeper  of  the  Seals, 


858  CSsar  Birotteau. 

relating  to  this  flaw  in  our  statutes.  It  is  desirable  that 
the  government  should  maintain  the  interests  of  land- 
lords. That  is  the  chief  question  in  statecraft.  We  are 
the  tap-root  of  taxation." 

"  You  are  well  fitted  to  enlighten  the  government," 
said  Pillerault;  "but  in  what  way  can  we  enlighten 
you  —  about  our  aflairs?" 

"  I  wish  to  know,"  said  Molineiix,  with  pompous 
authorit}',  "  if  Monsieur  Birotteau  has  received  moneys 
from  Monsjeur  Popinot." 

"No,  monsieur,"  said  Birotteau. 

Then  followed  a  discussion  on  Birotteau's  interests 
in  the  house  of  Popinot,  from  which  it  appeared  that 
Popinot  had  the  right  to  have  all  his  advances  paid 
in  full,  and  that  he  was  not  involved  in  the  failure  to 
the  amount  of  half  the  costs  of  his  establishment,  due 
to  him  by  Birotteau.  Molineux,  judiciously  handled  by 
Pillerault,  insensibly  got  back  to  gentler  wajs,  which 
onl}^  showed  how  he  cared  for  the  opinion  of  those  who 
frequented  the  cafe  David.  He  ended  bj^  offering  con- 
solation to  Birotteau,  and  by  inviting  him,  as  well  as 
Pillerault,  to  share  his  humble  dinner.  If  the  ex-per- 
fumer had  gone  alone,  he  would  probabl}'  have  irritated 
Molineux,  and  the  matter  would  have  become  enven- 
omed. In  this  instance,  as  in  others,  old  Pillerault  was 
his  tutelary  angel. 

Commercial  law  imposes  a  horrible  torture  upon  the 
bankrupt ;  he  is  compelled  to  appear  in  person  at  the 
meeting  of  his  creditors,  when  they  decide  upon  his 
future  fate.  For  a  man  who  can  hold  himself  above  it 
all,  or  for  a  merchant  who  expects  to  recover  himself, 
this  ceremony  is  little  feared.     But  to  a  man  like  Cesar 


CSaar  Birotteau.  359 

Birotteau  it  was  agony  only  to  be  compared  to  the 
last  day  of  a  criminal  condemned  to  death.  Pillerault 
did  all  in  his  power  to  make  that  terrible  day  endurable 
to  his  nephew. 

The  steps  taken  by  Molineux,  and  agreed  to  by  the 
bankrupt,  were  as  follows :  The  suit  relating  to  the 
mortgage  on  the  property  in  the  Faubourg  du  Temple 
having  been  won  in  the  courts,  the  assignees  decided  to 
sell  that  property,  and  Cesar  made  no  opposition.  Du 
Tillet,  hearing  privately  that  the  government  intended 
to  cut  a  canal  which  should  lead  from  Saint-Denis  to  the 
upper  Seine  through  the  Faubourg  du  Temple,  bought 
the  property  of  Birotteau  for  sevent}'  thousand  francs. 
All  Cesar's  rights  in  the  lands  about  the  Madeleine  were 
turned  over  to  Monsieur  Claparon,  on  condition  that 
he  on  his  side  would  abandon  all  claim  against  Birot- 
teau for  half  the  costs  of  drawing  up  and  registering 
the  contracts  ;  also  for  all  pa3-ments  on  the  price  of  the 
lands,  by  receiving  himself,  under  the  failure,  the  divi- 
dend which  was  to  be  paid  over  to  the  sellers.  The 
interests  of  the  perfumer  in  the  house  of  Popinot  and 
Company  were  sold  to  the  said  Popinot  for  the  sum  of 
fort3-eight  thousand  francs.  The  business  of  " The  Queen 
of  Roses  "  was  bought  by  Celestin  Crevel  at  fifty-seven 
thousand  francs,  with  the  lease,  the  fixtures,  the  mer- 
chandise, furniture,  and  all  rights  in  the  Paste  of  Sultans 
and  the  Carminative  Balm,  with  twelve  years'  lease  of 
the  manufactories,  whose  various  appliances  were  also 
sold  to  him.  The  assets  when  liquidated  came  to  one 
hundred  and  ninet^'-five  thousand  francs,  to  which  the 
assignees  added  seventy  thousand  produced  b}-  Birot- 
teau's  claims  in  the  liquidation  of  the  "unfortunate" 


360  CSsar  Birotteau. 

Roguin.  Thus  the  total  amount  made  over  to  Cesar's 
creditors  was  two  hundred  and  fifty-five  thousand  francs. 
The  debts  amounted  to  four  hundred  and  forty  thousand ; 
consequently,  the  creditors  received  more  than  fifty  per 
cent  on  their  claims. 

Bankruptcy  is  a  species  of  chemical  transmutation, 
from  which  a  clever  merchant  tries  to  emerge  in  fresh 
shape.  Birotteau,  distilled  to  the  last  drop  in  this  re- 
tort, gave  a  result  which  made  du  Tillet  furious.  Da 
Tillet  looked  to  see  a  dishonorable  failure ;  he  saw  an 
honorable  one.  Caring  little  for  his  own  gains,  though 
he  was  about  to  get  possession  of  the  lands  around 
the  Madeleine  without  ever  drawing  his  purse-strings, 
he  wanted  to  see  his  old  master  dishonored,  lost,  and 
vilified.  The  creditors  at  the  general  meeting  would 
undoubtedly  show  the  poor  man  that  they  respected 
him. 

By  degrees,  as  Birotteau's  courage  came  back  to  him, 
Pillerault,  like  a  wise  doctor,  informed  him,  by  gradual 
doses,  of  the  transactions  resulting  from  his  failure. 
These  harsh  tidings  were  like  so  many  blows.  A  mer- 
chant cannot  learn  without  a  shock  the  depreciation  of 
property  which  represents  to  him  so  much  monej',  so 
much  solicitude,  so  much  labor.  The  facts  his  uncle 
now  told  him  petrified  the  poor  man. 

"  Fifty-seven  thousand  francs  for  '  The  Queen  of 
Roses ' !  Why,  the  shop  alone  cost  ten  thousand  ;  the 
appartement  cost  forty  thousand ;  the  mere  outlay  on 
the  manufactories,  the  utensils,  the  frames,  the  boilers, 
cost  thirt}^  thousand.  Why  !  at  fifty  per  cent  abatement, 
if  my  creditors  allow  me  that,  there  would  still  be  tea 
thousand  francs  worth  of  property  in  the  shop.     Why ! 


CSsar  Birotteau.  361 

the  Paste  and  the  Balm  are  solid  property,  —  worth  as 
much  as  a  farm  !  " 

Poor  Cesar's  jeremiads  made  no  impression  upon 
Pillerault.  The  old  merchant  took  them  as  a  horse 
takes  a  down-pour ;  but  he  was  alarmed  b}-  the  gloomy 
silence  Birotteau  maintained  when  it  was  a  question  of 
the  meeting.  Those  who  comprehend  the  vanities  and 
weaknesses  which  in  all  social  spheres  beset  mankind, 
will  know  what  a  martj'rdom  it  was  for  this  poor  man 
to  enter  as  a  bankrupt  the  commercial  tribunal  of  jus- 
tice where  he  once  sat  as  judge  ;  to  meet  affronts  where 
so  often  he  had  been  thanked  for  services  rendered,  — 
he,  Birotteau,  whose  inflexible  opinions  about  bank- 
ruptcy were  so  well  known  ;  he  who  had  said,  "  A  man 
may  be  honest  till  he  fails,  but  he  comes  out  of  a  meet- 
ing of  his  creditors  a  swindler."  Pillerault  watched  for 
the  right  moment  to  familiarize  Cesar's  mind  with  the 
thought  of  appearing  before  his  creditors  as  the  law  de- 
mands. The  thought  killed  him.  His  mute  grief  and 
resignation  made  a  deep  impression  on  his  uncle,  who 
often  heard  him  at  night,  through  the  partition,  crying 
out  to  himself,  "  Never !  never !  I  will  die  sooner." 

Pillerault,  a  strong  man,  —  strong  through  the  simplic- 
ity of  his  life,  —  was  able  to  understand  weakness.  He 
resolved  to  spare  Cesar  the  anguish  of  appearing  before 
his  creditors,  —  a  terrible  scene  which  the  law  renders  in- 
evitable, and  to  which,  indeed,  he  might  succumb.  On 
this  point  the  law  is  precise,  formal,  and  not  to  be 
evaded.  The  merchant  who  refused  to  appear  would, 
for  that  act  alone,  be  brought  before  the  criminal  police 
courts.  But  though  the  law  compels  the  bankrupt  to 
appear,  it  has  no  power  to  oblige  the  creditor  to  do  so. 


362  CSsar  Birotteau. 

A  meeting  of  creditors  is  a  ceremonj'  of  no  real  impor- 
tance except  in  special  cases, — when,  for  instance,  a 
swindler  is  to  be  dispossessed  and  a  coalition  among 
the  creditors  agreed  upon,  when  there  is  difference  of 
opinion  between  the  privileged  creditors  and  the  unse- 
cured creditors,  or  when  the  concordat  is  specially 
dishonest,  and  the  bankrupt  is  in  need  of  a  deceptive 
majority.  But  in  the  case  of  a  failure  when  all  has  been 
given  up,  the  meeting  is  a  mere  formality.  Pillerault 
went  to  each  creditor,  one  after  the  other,  and  asked  him 
to  give  his  prox}^  to  his  attorney.  Ever}-  creditor,  ex- 
cept du  Tillet,  sincerely  pitied  Cesar,  after  striking  him 
down.  Each  knew  that  his  conduct  was  scrupulously 
honest,  that  his  books  were  regular,  and  his  business  as 
clear  as  the  day.  All  were  pleased  to  find  no  "  gay  and 
illegitimate  creditor  "  among  them.  Molineux,  first  the 
agent  and  then  the  provisional  assignee,  had  found  in 
Cesar's  house  everything  the  poor  man  owned,  even  the 
engraving  of  Hero  and  Leander  which  Popinot  had 
given  him,  his  personal  trinkets,  his  breast-pin,  his  gold 
buckles,  his  two  watches,  —  things  which  an  honest  man 
might  have  taken  without  thinking  himself  less  than 
honest.  Constance  had  left  her  modest  jewel-case. 
This  touching  obedience  to  the  law  struck  the  commer- 
cial mind  keenly.  Birotteau's  enemies  called  it  foolish- 
ness ;  but  men  of  sense  held  it  up  in  its  true  light  as  a 
magnificent  supererogation  of  integrity.  In  two  months 
the  opinion  of  the  Bourse  had  changed  ;  every  one,  even 
those  who  were  most  indifferent,  admitted  this  failure 
to  be  a  rare  commercial  wonder,  seldom  seen  in  the 
markets  of  Paris.  Thus  the  creditors,  knowing  that 
they  were  secure  of  nearl}'  sixty  per  cent  of  their  claims, 


CSsar  Birotteau.  363 

were  very  ready  to  do  what  Pillerault  asked  of  them. 
The  solicitors  of  the  commercial  courts  are  few  in 
number ;  it  therefore  happened  that  several  creditors 
employed  the  same  man,  giving  him  their  proxies. 
Pillerault  finally  succeeded  in  reducing  the  formidable 
assemblage  to  three  solicitors,  himself,  Ragon,  the  two 
assignees,  and  the  commissioner. 

Early  in  the  morning  of  the  solemn  day,  Pillerault 
said  to  his  nephew,  — 

"  C^sar,  you  can  go  to  j'our  meeting  to-day  without 
fear ;  nobody  will  be  there." 

Monsieur  Ragon  wished  to  accompany  his  debtor. 
"When  the  former  master  of  "  The  Queen  of  Roses  "  first 
made  known  the  wish  in  his  little  dry  voice,  his  ex- 
successor  turned  pale ;  but  the  good  old  man  opened 
his  arms,  and  Birotteau  threw  himself  into  them  as  a 
child  into  the  arms  of  its  father,  and  the  two  perfumers 
mingled  their  tears.  The  bankrupt  gathered  courage 
as  he  felt  tiie  indulgence  shown  to  him,  and  he  got  into 
the  coach  with  his  uncle  and  Ragon.  Preciselj-  at  half 
past  ten  o'clock  the  three  reached  the  cloister  Saint- 
Merri,  where  the  Court  of  Commerce  was  then  held. 
At  that  hour  there  was  no  one  in  the  Hall  of  Bank- 
ruptcy. The  daj'  and  the  hour  had  been  chosen  by 
agreement  with  the  judge  and  the  assignees.  The  three 
solicitors  were  already  there  on  behalf  of  their  clients. 
There  was  nothing,  therefore,  to  distress  or  intimidate 
Cesar  Birotteau  ;  yet  the  poor  man  could  not  enter  the 
ofHce  of  Monsieur  Camusot  —  which  chanced  to  be  the 
one  he  had  formerly  occupied  —  without  deci)  emotion, 
and  he  shuddered  as  he  passed  through  the  Hall  of 
Bankruptcy. 


864  CSsar  Birotteau. 

"  It  is  cold,"  said  Monsieur  Camnsot  to  Birotteau. 
"I  am  sure  these  gentlemen  will  not  be  sorry  to  stay 
here,  instead  of  our  going  to  freeze  in  the  Hall."  He 
did  not  say  the  word  "Bankruptcy."  "  Gentlemen,  be 
seated." 

Each  took  his  seat,  and  the  judge  gave  his  own  arm- 
chair to  Birotteau,  who  was  bewildered.  The  solicitors 
and  the  assignees  signed  the  papers. 

"  In  consideration  of  the  surrender  of  your  entire 
property,  said  Camusot  to  Birotteau,  "your  creditors 
unanimously  agree  to  relinquish  the  rest  of  their  claims. 
Your  certificate  is  couched  in  terms  which  may  well 
soften  3'our  pain ;  yoxxx  solicitor  will  see  that  it  is 
promptly  recorded ;  you  are  now  free.  All  the  judges 
of  this  court,  dear  Monsieur  Bii'otteau,"  said  Camusot, 
taking  him  by  the  hand,  "  feel  for  your  position,  and 
are  not  surprised  at  your  courage  ;  none  have  failed  to 
do  justice  to  j'our  integrity.  In  the  midst  of  a  great 
misfortune  you  have  been  worthy  of  what  j'ou  once  were 
here.  I  have  been  in  business  for  twent}'  years,  and 
this  is  only  the  second  time  that  I  have  seen  a  fallen 
merchant  gaining,  instead  of  losing,  public  respect." 

Birotteau  took  the  hands  of  the  judge  and  wrung 
them,  with  tears  in  his  eyes.  Camusot  asked  him  what 
he  now  meant  to  do.  Birotteau  replied  that  he  should 
work  till  he  had  paid  his  creditors  in  full  to  the  last 
penny. 

"  If  to  accomplish  that  noble  task  you  should  ever 
want  a  few  thousand  francs,  you  will  alwa3'S  find  them 
with  me,"  said  Camusot.  "  I  would  give  them  with 
a  great  deal  of  pleasure  to  witness  a  deed  so  rare  in 
Paris." 


CSsar  Birotteau.  365 

Pillerault,  Ragon,  and  Birotteau  retired. 

"  Well !  that  was  n't  the  ocean  to  drink,"  said  Pille- 
rault, as  the^'  left  the  court-room. 

"I  recognize  j'our  hand  in  it,"  said  the  poor  man, 
much  affected. 

"Now,  here  you  are,  free,  and  we  are  onlj^  a  few 
steps  from  the  Rue  des  Cinq-Diamants  ;  come  and  see 
my  nephew,"  said  Ragon. 

A  cruel  pang  shot  through  Cesar's  heart  when  he  saw 
Constance  sitting  in  a  little  office  in  the  damp,  dark  en- 
tresol above  the  shop,  whose  single  window  was  one 
third  darkened  by  a  sign  which  intercepted  the  daylight 
and  bore  the  name,  —  A.  Popinot. 

"  Behold  a  lieutenant  of  Alexander,"  said  Cesar,  with 
the  gayety  of  grief,  pointing  to  the  sign. 

This  forced  gayetj',  through  which  an  inextinguish- 
able sense  of  the  superiority  which  Birotteau  attributed 
to  himself  was  naively  revealed,  made  Ragon  shudder 
in  spite  of  his  seventy  years.  C^sar  saw  his  wife  pass- 
ing down  letters  and  papers  for  Popinot  to  sign;  he 
could  neither  restrain  his  tears  nor  keep  his  face  from 
turning  pale. 

"  Good-morning,  my  friend,"  she  said  to  him,  smiling. 

"  I  do  not  ask  if  j'ou  are  comfortable  here,"  said 
C^sar,  looking  at  Popinot. 

"  As  if  I  were  living  with  my  own  son,"  she  answered, 
with  a  tender  manner  that  struck  her  husband. 

Birotteau  took  Popinot  and  kissed  him,  saying,  — 

"I  have  lost  the  right,  forever,  of  calling  him  my 
son." 

"  Let  us  hope ! "  said  Popinot.  "  Your  oil  succeeds  — 
thanks  to  my  advertisements  in  the  newspapers,  and  to 


866  CSsar  Birotteau. 

Gaudissart,  who  has  travelled  over  the  whole  of  France  ; 
he  has  inundated  the  country  with  placards  and  pros- 
pectuses ;  he  is  now  at  Strasburg  getting  the  prospec- 
tuses printed  in  the  German  language,  and  he  is  about 
to  descend,  like  an  invasion,  upon  German}'  itself. 
We  have  received  orders  for  three  thousand  gross." 

"  Three  thousand  gross  !  "  exclaimed  Cesar. 

"  And  I  have  bought  a  piece  of  land  in  the  Faubourg 
Saint-Marceau,  —  not  dear,  —  where  I  am  building  a 
manu  factor}'." 

"  Wife,"  whispered  Cesar  to  Constance,  "  with  a  little 
help  we  might  have  pulled  through." 

After  that  fatal  day  C^sar,  his  wife,  and  daughter  un- 
derstood each  other.  The  poor  clerk  resolved  to  attain 
an  end  which,  if  not  impossible,  was  at  least  gigantic 
in  its  enterprise,  —  nameh,  the  paj-ment  of  his  debts  to 
their  last  penny.  These  three  beings,  —  father,  mother, 
daughter,  —  bound  together  by  the  tie  of  a  passionate  in- 
tegrit}',  became  misers,  den3'ing  themselves  everything ; 
a  farthing  was  sacred  in  their  eyes.  Out  of  sheer  cal- 
culation Cesarine  threw  herself  into  her  business  with 
the  devotion  of  a  young  girl.  She  sat  up  at  night,  tax- 
ing her  ingenuity  to  find  wa3's  of  increasing  the  pros- 
perity of  the  establishment,  and  displaying  an  innate 
commercial  talent.  The  masters  of  the  house  were 
obliged  to  check  her  ardor  for  work  ;  the}'  rewarded  her 
b}"  presents,  but  she  refused  all  articles  of  dress  and 
the  jewels  which  they  offered  her.  Money !  money ! 
was  her  cry.  Every  month  she  carried  her  salarj'  and 
her  little  earnings  to  her  uncle  Pillerault.  Cesar  did 
the  same ;  so  did  Madame  Birotteau.     All  three,  feel- 


C6mr  Birotteau.  367 

Ing  themselves  incapable,  dared  not  take  upon  them- 
selves the  responsibility  of  managing  their  money,  and 
the}'  made  over  to  Pillerault  the  whole  business  of  in- 
vesting their  savings.  Returning  thus  to  business,  the 
latter  made  the  most  of  these  funds  by  negotiations  at 
the  Bourse.  It  was  known  afterwards  that  he  had  been 
helped  in  this  work  by  Jules  Desmarets  and  Joseph 
Lebas,  both  of  whom  were  eager  to  point  out  opportu- 
nities which  Pillerault  might  take  without  risk. 

Cesar,  though  he  lived  with  his  uncle,  never  ventured 
to  question  him  as  to  what  was  done  with  the  money 
acquired  by  his  labor  and  that  of  his  wife  and  daughter. 
He  walked  the  streets  with  a  bowed  head,  hiding  from 
everj'  eye  his  stricken,  dull,  distraught  face.  He  felt, 
with  self-reproach,  that  the  cloth  he  wore  was  too  good 
for  him. 

"At  least,"  he  said  to  Pillerault,  with  a  look  that 
was  angelic,  "  I  do  not  eat  the  bread  of  my  creditors. 
Your  bread  is  sweet  to  me,  though  it  is  j'our  pity  that 
gives  it ;  thanks  to  your  sacred  charity,  I  do  not  steal  a 
farthing  of  m^-  salary !  " 

The  merchants,  his  old  associates,  who  met  the  clerk 
could  see  no  vestige  of  the  perfumer.  Even  careless 
minds  gained  an  idea  of  the  immensity  of  human  disas- 
ter from  the  aspect  of  this  man,  on  whose  face  sorrow 
had  cast  its  black  pall,  who  revealed  the  havoc  caused 
by  that  which  had  never  before  appeared  in  him,  —  by 
thought !  N^est  pas  detruit  qui  veut.  Light-minded 
'people,  devoid  of  conscience,  to  whom  all  things  are 
indifferent,  can  never  present  such  a  spectacle  of  dis- 
aster. Religion  alone  sets  a  special  seal  upon  fallen 
human  beings ;  they  believe  in  a  future,  in  a  divine 


368  C48ar  Birotteau. 

Providence ;  within  them  gleams  a  light  that  marks 
them,  a  look  of  saintly  resignation  mingled  with  hope, 
which  lends  them  a  certain  tender  emotion  ;  they  realize 
all  that  the}'  have  lost,  like  the  exiled  angel  weeping  at 
the  gates  of  heaven.  Bankrupts  are  forbidden  to  enter 
the  Bourse.  Cesar,  driven  from  the  regions  of  integrity, 
was  like  an  angel  sighing  for  pardon.  For  fourteen 
months  he  lived  on,  full  of  religious  thoughts  with 
which  his  fall  inspired  him,  and  denying  himself  every 
pleasure.  Though  sure  of  the  Ragons'  friendship,  nothing 
could  induce  him  to  dine  with  them,  nor  with  the  Lebas, 
nor  the  Matifats,  nor  the  Protez  and  ChifTrevilles,  not 
even  with  Monsieur  Vauquelin  ;  all  of  whom  were  eager 
to  do  honor  to  his  rare  virtue.  Cesar  preferred  to  be 
alone  in  his  room  rather  than  meet  the  e3'e  of  a  credi- 
tor. The  warmest  greetings  of  his  friends  reminded 
him  the  more  bitterly  of  his  position.  Constance  and 
C^sarine  went  nowhere.  On  Sundays  and  fete  days, 
the  only  days  when  they  were  at  libertj',  the  two 
women  went  to  fetch  Cesar  at  the  hour  for  Mass,  and 
they  stayed  with  him  at  Pillerault's  after  their  religious 
duties  were  accomplished.  Pillerault  often  invited  the 
Abbe  Loraux,  whose  words  sustained  Cesar  in  this  life 
of  trial.  And  in  this  way  their  lives  were  spent.  The 
old  ironmonger  had  too  tough  a  fibre  of  integrity  not  to 
approve  of  Cesar's  sensitive  honor.  His  mind,  how- 
ever, turned  on  increasing  the  number  of  persons 
among  whom  the  poor  bankrupt  might  show  himself 
with  an  open  brow,  and  an  eye  that  could  meet  the 
eyes  of  his  fellows. 


CSsar  Birotteau,  369 


VII. 

In  the  month  of  May,  1820,  this  family,  ever  grap- 
pling with  adversit}',  received  a  first  reward  for  its 
efforts  at  a  little  fete  which  Pillerault,  the  arbiter  of  its 
destinies,  prepared  for  it.  The  last  Sunday  of  that 
month  was  the  anniversarj'^  of  the  day  on  which  Con- 
stance had  consented  to  marry  C^sar.  Pillerault,  in 
concert  with  the  Ragons,  hired  a  little  country-house  at 
Sceaux,  and  the  worthy  old  ironmonger  silently  prepared 
a  jo3'ous  house-warming. 

"  Cesar,"  said  Pillerault,  on  the  Saturday  evening, 
*'  to-morrow  we  are  all  going  into  the  country,  and  j'ou 
must  come." 

Cesar,  who  wrote  a  superb  hand,  spent  his  evenings 
in  copying  for  Derville  and  other  lawyers.  On  Sun- 
days, justified  by  ecclesiastical  permission,  he  worked 
like  a  negro. 

"  No,"  he  said,  "  Monsieur  Derville  is  waiting  for  a 
guardianship  account." 

"Your  wife  and  daughter  ought  to  have  some  re- 
ward. You  will  meet  none  but  our  particular  friends,  — 
the  Abb^  Loraux,  the  Ragons,  Popinot,  and  his  uncle. 
Besides,  I  wish  it." 

Cesar  and  his  wife,  carried  along  by  the  whirlwind  of 
business,  had  never  revisited  Sceaux,  though  from  time 
to  time  each  longed  to  see  once  more  the  tree  under 
which  the  head-clerk  of  "The  Queen  of  Roses"  had 

24 


870  CS%ar  Birotteau. 

fainted  with  joy.  During  the  trip,  which  Cesar  made  in 
a  hackney-coach  with  his  wife  and  daughter,  and  Popi- 
not  who  escorted  them,  Constance  cast  many  meaning 
glances  at  her  husband  without  bringing  to  his  lips  a 
single  smile.  She  whispered  a  few  words  in  his  ear ;  for 
all  answer  he  shook  his  head.  The  soft  signs  of  her 
tenderness,  ever-present  yet  at  the  moment  forced,  in- 
stead of  brightening  Cesar's  face  made  it  more  sombre, 
and  brought  the  long-repressed  tears  into  his  eyes.  Poor 
man  !  he  had  gone  over  this  road  twenty  years  before, 
young,  prosperous,  full  of  hope,  the  lover  of  a  girl  as 
beautiful  as  their  own  Cesarine  ;  he  was  dreaming  then 
of  happiness.  To-da^',  in  the  coach  before  him,  sat  his 
noble  child  pale  and  worn  by  vigils,  and  his  brave  wife, 
whose  only  beauty  now  was  that  of  cities  through  whose 
streets  have  flowed  the  lava  waves  of  a  volcano.  Love 
alone  remained  to  him  !  Cesar's  sadness  smothered  the 
joy  that  welled  up  in  the  hearts  of  Cesarine  and  An- 
selme,  who  embodied  to  his  eyes  the  charming  scene  of 
other  days. 

"Be  happy,  my  children !  you  have  earned  the  right," 
said  the  poor  father  in  heart-rending  tones.  "  You  ma}' 
love  without  one  bitter  thought." 

As  he  said  these  words  he  took  his  wife's  hands  and 
kissed  them  with  a  sacred  and  admiring  affection  which 
touched  Constance  more  than  the  brightest  gayety. 
When  they  reached  the  house  where  Pillerault,  the 
Ragons,  the  Abb^  Loraux,  and  Popinot  the  judge  were 
waiting  for  them,  these  five  choice  people  assumed  an 
air  and  manner  and  speech  which  put  Cesar  at  his 
ease ;  for  all  were  deeply  moved  to  see  him  still  on  the 
morrow  of  his  great  disaster. 


CSsar  Birotteau.  371 

"Go  and  take  a  walk  in  the  Aulnay  woods,"  said 
Pillerault,  putting  Cesar's  hand  into  that  of  Constance  ; 
"go  with  Anselme  and  Cesarine !  but  come  back  by 
four  o'clock." 

"Poor  souls,  we  should  be  a  restraint  upon  them," 
said  Madame  Ragon,  touched  by  the  deep  grief  of  her 
debtor.     "  He  will  be  very  happy  presently." 

"It  is  repentance  without  sin,"  said  the  Abbe 
Loraux. 

"  He  could  rise  to  greatness  only  through  adversity," 
said  the  judge. 

To  forget  is  the  great  secret  of  strong,  creative  na- 
tures, —  to  forget,  in  the  way  of  Nature  herself,  who 
knows  no  past,  who  begins  afresh,  at  every  hour,  the 
mysteries  of  her  untiring  travail. 

Feeble  existences,  like  that  of  Birotteau,  live  sunk  in 
sorrows,  instead  of  transmuting  them  into  doctrines  of 
experience  :  they  let  them  saturate  their  being,  and  are 
worn-out,  finally,  by  falling  more  and  more  under  the 
weight  of  past  misfortunes. 

When  the  two  couples  reached  the  path  which  leads 
to  the  woods  of  Aulnay,  placed  like  a  crown  upon  the 
prettiest  hillside  in  the  neighborhood  of  Paris,  and  from 
which  the  Yallee-aux-Loups  is  seen  in  all  its  coquetry, 
the  beauty  of  the  day,  the  charm  of  the  landscape,  the 
first  spring  verdure,  the  delicious  memorj^  of  the  hap- 
piest da}'  of  all  his  youth,  loosened  the  tight  chords  in 
Cesar's  soul ;  he  pressed  the  arm  of  his  wife  against  his 
beating  heart ;  his  eye  was  no  longer  glassj-,  for  the 
light  of  pleasure  once  more  brightened  in  it. 

"At  last,"  said  Constance  to  her  husband,  "  I  see 
you  again,  my  poor  C^sar.    I  think  we  have  all  behaved 


372  CSsar  Birotteau. 

well  enough  to  allow  ourselves  a  little  pleasure  now  and 
then." 

"  Ought  I?"  said  the  poor  man.  "  Ah !  Constance, 
thj"  affection  is  all  that  remains  to  me.  Yes,  I  have 
lost  even  my  old  self-confidence ;  I  have  no  strength 
left ;  m}^  only  desire  is  that  I  may  live  to  die  discharged 
of  debt  on  earth.  Thou,  dear  wife,  thou  who  art  my 
wisdom  and  my  prudence,  thou  whose  eyes  saw  clear, 
thou  who  art  irreproachable,  thou  canst  have  pleasure. 
I  alone  —  of  us  three  —  am  guilty.  Eighteen  months 
ago,  in  the  midst  of  that  fatal  ball,  I  saw  my  Constance, 
the  only  woman  I  have  ever  loved,  more  beautiful  than 
the  young  girl  I  followed  along  this  path  twenty  years 
ago  —  like  our  children  yonder!  In  eighteen  months 
I  have  blasted  that  beauty,  —  my  pride,  my  legitimate 
and  sanctioned  pride.  I  love  thee  better  since  I  know 
thee  well.  Oh,  dear  I"  he  said,  giving  to  the  word  a 
tone  which  reached  to  the  inmost  heart  of  his  wife, 
"I  would  rather  have  thee  scold  me,  than  see  thee 
so  tender  to  my  pain." 

"  I  did  not  think,"  she  said,  "  that  after  twenty  years 
of  married  life  the  love  of  a  wife  for  her  husband  could 
deepen." 

These  words  drove  from  Cesar's  mind,  for  one  brief 
moment,  all  his  sorrows ;  his  heart  was  so  true  that 
the}^  were  to  him  a  fortune.  He  walked  forward  almost 
joyously  to  their  tree,  which  by  chance  had  not  been 
felled.  Husband  and  wife  sat  down  beneath  it,  watch- 
ing Anselrae  and  Cesarine,  who  were  sauntering  across 
the  grassy  slope  without  perceiving  them,  thinking 
probably  that  they  were  still  following. 

" Mademoiselle,"  Anselme  was  saying,  "do  not  think 


CSsar  Birotleau.  373 

me  so  base  and  grasping  as  to  profit  by  your  father's 
share  which  I  have  acquired  in  the  Cephalic  Oil.  I 
am  keeping  his  share  for  him ;  I  nurse  it  with  careful 
love.  I  invest  the  profits  ;  if  there  is  any  loss  I  f  ut  it 
to  my  own  account.  We  can  only  belong  to  one  another 
on  the  da}*  when  j'our  father  is  restored  to  his  position, 
free  of  debt.  I  work  for  that  day  with  all  the  strength 
that  love  has  given  me." 

"  Will  it  come  soon  ?  "  she  said. 

"  Soon,"  said  Popinot.  The  word  was  uttered  in  a 
tone  so  full  of  meaning,  that  the  chaste  and  pure  joung 
girl  inclined  her  head  to  her  dear  Anselme,  who  laid 
an  eager  and  respectful  kiss  upon  her  brow,  —  so  noble 
was  her  gesture  and  action. 

"  Papa,  all  is  well,"  she  said  to  C^sar  with  a  little 
air  of  confidence.  "Be  good  and  sweet;  talk  to  us, 
put  away  that  sad  look." 

When  this  family,  so  tenderly  bound  together,  re- 
entered the  house,  even  C^sar,  little  observing  as  he 
was,  saw  a  change  in  the  manner  of  the  Ragons  which 
seemed  to  denote  some  remarkable  event.  The  greet- 
ing of  Madame  Ragon  was  particularly  impressive ; 
her  look  and  accent  seemed  to  say  to  C^sar,  "  We  are 
paid." 

At  the  dessert,  the  notary  of  Sceaux  appeared.  Piller- 
ault  made  him  sit  down,  and  then  looked  at  C^sar,  who 
began  to  suspect  a  surprise,  though  he  was  far  indeed 
from  imagining  the  extent  of  it. 

"  My  nephew,  the  savings  of  jour  wife,  your  daugh- 
ter, and  3*ourself,  for  the  last  eighteen  months,  amounted 
to  twenty  thousand  francs.  I  have  received  thirt}-  thou- 
sand as  the  dividend  on  my  claim.     We  have  therefore 


374  CSsar  Birotteau, 

fifty  thousand  francs  to  divide  among  your  creditors. 
Monsieur  Ragon  has  received  thirty  thousand  francs 
for  his  dividend,  and  you  have  now  paid  him  tlie  balance 
of  his  claim  in  full,  interest  included,  for  which  mon- 
sieur here,  the  notary  of  Sceaux,  has  brought  j'ou  a  re- 
ceipt. The  rest  of  the  money  is  with  Crottat,  ready 
for  Lourdois,  Madame  Madou,  the  mason,  carpenter, 
and  the  other  most  pressing  creditors.  Next  j'ear,  we 
may  do  as  well.  With  time  and  patience  we  can  go 
far." 

Birotteau's  J03'  is  not  to  be  described ;  he  threw  him- 
self into  his  uncle's  arms,  weeping. 

"  May  he  not  wear  his  cross?"  said  Ragon  to  the 
Abbe  Loraux. 

The  confessor  fastened  the  red  ribbon  to  Cesar's 
buttonhole.  The  poor  clerk  looked  at  himself  again 
and  again  during  the  evening  in  the  mirrors  of  the 
salon,  manifesting  a  joy  at  which  people  thinking  them- 
selves superior  might  have  laughed,  but  which  these 
good  bourgeois  thought  quite  natural. 

The  next  day  Birotteau  went  to  find  Madame  Madou. 

"  Ah,  there  you  are,  good  soul !  "  she  cried.  "  I 
did  n't  recognize  you,  you  have  turned  so  gray.  Yet 
you  don't  really  drudge,  you  people  ;  3'ou  've  got  good 
places.  As  for  me,  I  work  like  a  turnspit  that  deserves 
baptism." 

"  But,  madame  —  " 

"Never  mind,  I  don't  mean  it  as  a  reproach,"  she 
said.     "You  have  got  my  receipt." 

"  I  came  to  tell  you  that  I  shall  pay  you  to-morrow, 
at  Monsieur  Crottat's,  the  rest  of  your  claim  in  full, 
with  interest." 


CSsar  Birotteau.  375 

"Is  that  true?" 

"  Be  there  at  eleven  o'clock." 

"  Hey  !  there  's  honor  for  you  !  good  measure  and 
running  over  ! "  she  cried  with  naive  admiration.  "  Look 
here,  my  good  monsieur,  I  am  doing  a  fine  trade  with 
your  little  red-head.  He 's  a  nice  3'oung  fellow  ;  he  lets 
me  earn  a  fair  penny  without  haggling  over  it,  so  that 
I  may  get  an  equivalent  for  that  loss.  Well,  I'll 
give  you  a  receipt  in  full,  anj'how ;  you  keep  the 
money,  my  poor  old  man !  La  Madou  may  get  in  a 
fury,  and  she  does  scold ;  but  she  has  got  something 
here  — "  she  cried,  thumping  the  most  voluminous 
mounds  of  flesh  ever  3'et  seen  in  the  markets. 

"  No,"  said  Birotteau,  "  the  law  is  plain.  I  wish  to 
l)ay  you  in  full." 

"Then  I  won't  deny  you  the  pleasure,"  she  said; 
' '  and  to-morrow  I  '11  trumpet  your  conduct  through  the 
markets.     Ha !  it 's  rare,  rare  !  " 

The  worthy  man  had  much  the  same  scene,  with  va- 
riations, at  Lourdois  the  house  painter's,  father-in-law 
of  Crottat.  It  was  raining  ;  Cesar  left  his  umbrella  at 
the  corner  of  the  door.  The  prosperous  painter,  seeing 
the  water  trickling  into  the  room  where  he  was  break- 
fasting with  his  wife,  was  not  tender. 

"  Come,  what  do  you  want,  my  poor  Pere  Birotteau?" 
he  said,  in  the  hard  tone  which  some  people  take  to  im- 
portunate beggars. 

"  Monsieur,  has  not  your  son-in-law  told  you  —  " 

"What?"  cried  Lourdois,  expecting  some  appeal. 

"  To  be  at  his  office  this  morning  at  half  past  eleven, 
and  give  me  a  receipt  for  the  payment  of  youi  claims  in 
full,  with  interest?" 


376  C^sar  Birotteau. 

"Ah,  that's  another  thing!  Sit  down,  Monsieur 
Birotteau,  and  eat  a  mouthful  with  us." 

"  Do  us  the  pleasure  to  share  our  breakfast,"  said 
Madame  Lourdois. 

"  You  are  doing  well,  then?  "  asked  the  fat  Lourdois. 

"  No,  monsieur,  I  have  lived  from  hand  to  mouth, 
that  I  might  scrape  up  this  money ;  but  I  hope,  in  time, 
to  repair  the  wrongs  I  have  done  to  my  neighbor." 

"  Ah ! "  said  the  painter,  swallowing  a  mouthful  of 
pate  defoie  gras,  "j^ou  are  truly  a  man  of  honor." 

"  What  is  Madame  Birotteau  doing?  "  asked  Madame 
Lourdois. 

"  She  is  keeping  the  books  of  Monsieur  Anselme 
Popinot." 

"Poor  people!"  said  Madame  Lourdois,  in  a  low 
voice  to  her  husband. 

"  If  you  ever  need  me,  my  dear  Monsieur  Birotteau, 
come  and  see  me,"  said  Lourdois.     "  I  might  help  —  " 

"  I  do  need  you  —  at  eleven  o'clock  to-day,  mon- 
sieur," said  Birotteau,  retiring. 

This  first  result  gave  courage  to  the  poor  bankrupt, 
but  not  peace  of  mind.  On  the  contrar}',  the  thought  of 
regaining  his  honor  agitated  his  life  inordinately ;  he 
completely  lost  the  natural  color  of  his  cheeks,  his  eyes 
grew  sunken  and  dim,  and  his  face  hollow.  When  old 
acquaintances  met  him,  in  the  morning  at  eight  o'clock 
or  in  the  evening  at  four,  as  he  went  to  and  from  the 
Rue  de  I'Oratoire,  wearing  the  surtout  coat  he  wore  at 
the  time  of  his  fall,  and  which  he  husbanded  as  a  poor 
sub-lieutenant  husbands  his  uniform,  —  his  hair  entirely 
white,  his  face  pale,  his  manner  timid,  — some  few 


CSsar  Birotteau.  877 

would  stop  him  in  spite  of  himself;  for  his  eye  was 
alert  to  avoid  those  he  knew  as  he  crept  along  beside 
the  walls,  like  a  thief. 

"  Your  conduct  is  known,  my  friend,"  said  one ; 
"  everybody  regrets  the  sternness  with  which  you  treat 
yourself,  also  j'our  wife  and  daughter." 

"  Take  a  little  more  time,"  said  others ;  "  the  wounds 
of  money  do  not  kill." 

'"  No,  but  the  wounds  of  the  soul  do,"  the  poor  worn 
C^sar  answered  one  day  to  his  friend  Matifat. 

At  the  beginning  of  the  year  1822,  the  Canal  Saint- 
Martin  was  begun.  Land  in  the  Faubourg  du  Temple 
increased  enormousl}^  in  value.  The  canal  would  cut 
through  the  property  which  du  Tillet  had  bought  of 
Cesar  Birotteau.  The  company  who  obtained  the  right 
of  building  it  agreed  to  pay  the  banker  an  exorbitant 
sum,  provided  they  could  take  possession  within  a  given 
time.  The  lease  Cesar  had  granted  to  Popinot,  which 
went  with  the  sale  to  du  Tillet,  now  hindered  the  trans- 
fer to  the  canal  company.  The  banker  came  to  the  Rue 
des  Cinq-Diamants  to  see  the  druggist.  If  du  Tillet 
were  indifferent  to  Popinot,  it  is  very  certain  that  the 
lover  of  Cesarine  felt  an  instinctive  hatred  for  du  Tillet. 
He  knew  nothing  of  the  theft  and  the  infamous  scheme 
of  the  prosperous  banker,  but  an  inward  voice  cried  to 
him,  "The  man  is  an  unpunished  rascal."  Popinot 
would  never  have  transacted  the  smallest  business  with 
him ;  du  Tillet's  very  presence  was  odious  to  his  feel- 
ings. Under  the  present  circumstances  it  was  doubly 
so,  for  the  banker  was  now  enriched  through  the  forced 
spoliation  of  his  former  master ;  the  lands  about  the 


378  CSsar  Birotteau. 

Madeleine,  as  well  as  those  in  the  Faubourg  du  Temple, 
were  beginning  to  rise  in  price,  and  to  foreshadow  the 
enormous  value  they  were  to  reach  in  1827.  So  that 
after  du  Tillet  had  explained  the  object  of  his  visit, 
Popinot  looked  at  him  with  concentrated  wrath. 

"I  shall  not  refuse  to  give  up  my  lease;  but  I  de- 
mand sixty  thousand  francs  for  it,  and  I  shall  not  take 
one  farthing  less." 

"  Sixty  thousand  francs  !  "  exclaimed  du  Tillet,  mak- 
ing a  movement  to  leave  the  shop. 

"  I  have  fifteen  years'  lease  still  to  run  ;  it  will,  more- 
over, cost  me  three  thousand  francs  a  year  to  get  other 
buildings.  Therefore,  sixty  thousand  francs,  or  say 
no  more  about  it,"  said  Popinot,  going  to  the  back  of 
the  shop,  where  du  Tillet  followed  him. 

The  discussion  grew  warm,  Birotteau's  name  was  men- 
tioned ;  Madame  Cesar  heard  it  and  came  down,  and  saw 
du  Tillet  for  the  first  time  since  the  famous  ball.  The 
banker  was  unable  to  restrain  a  gesture  of  surprise  at  the 
change  which  had  come  over  the  beautiful  woman ;  he 
lowered  his  ej'es,  shocked  at  the  result  of  his  own  work. 

"Monsieur,"  said  Popinot  to  Madame  C^sar,  "is  go- 
ing to  make  three  hundred  thousand  francs  out  of  your 
land,  and  he  refuses  us  sixty  thousand  francs'  indemnity 
for  our  lease." 

"That  is  three  thousand  francs  a  j^ear,"  said  du  Tillet. 

"  Three  —  thousand  —  francs  !  "  said  Madame  C^sar, 
slowl}',  in  a  clear,  penetrating  voice. 

Du  Tillet  turned  pale.  Popinot  looked  at  Madame 
Birotteau.  There  was  a  moment  of  profound  silence, 
which  made  the  scene  still  more  inexplicable  to 
Auselme. 


Ci^ar  Birotteau.  379 

*'  Sign  your  relinquishment  of  the  lease,  which  I 
have  made  Crottat  draw  up,"  said  du  Tillet,  drawing 
a  stamped  paper  from  a  side-pocket.  "  I  will  give  you 
a  cheque  on  the  Bank  of  France  for  sixty  thousand 
francs." 

Popinot  looked  at  Madame  C4sar  without  concealing 
his  astonishment ;  he  thought  he  was  dreaming.  While 
du  Tillet  was  writing  his  cheque  at  a  high  desk,  Madame 
Cesar  disappeared  and  went  upstairs.  The  druggist 
and  the  banker  exchanged  papers.  Du  Tillet  bowed 
coldly  to  Popinot,  and  went  away. 

"At  last,  in  a  few  months,"  thought  Popinot,  as  he 
watched  du  Tillet  going  towards  the  Rue  des  Lombards, 
where  his  cabriolet  was  waiting,  ' '  thanks  to  this  ex- 
traordinary affair,  I  shall  have  my  Cesarine.  My  poor 
little  wife  shall  not  wear  herself  out  any,  longer.  A 
look  from  Madame  Cesar  was  enough !  What  secret  is 
there  between  her  and  that  brigand  ?  The  whole  thing 
is  extraordinary." 

Popinot  sent  the  cheque  at  once  to  the  Bank,  and  went 
up  to  speak  to  Madame  Birotteau  ;  she  was  not  in  the 
counting-room,  and  had  doubtless  gone  to  her  chamber. 
Anselme  and  Constance  lived  like  mother-in-law  and 
son-in-law  when  people  in  that  relation  suit  each  other ; 
he  therefore  rushed  up  to  Madame  Cesar's  appartement 
with  the  natural  eagerness  of  a  lover  on  the  threshold 
of  his  happiness.  The  j'oung  man  was  prodigiously 
surprised  to  find  her,  as  he  sprang  like  a  cat  into  the 
room,  reading  a  letter  from  du  Tillet,  whose  handwrit- 
ing he  recognized  at  a  glance.  A  lighted  candle,  and 
the  black  and  quivering  phantoms  of  burned  letters 
lying  on  the  floor  made  him  shudder,  for  his  quick  ej'es 


380  CSsar  Birotteau. 

caught  the  following  words  in  the  letter  which  Con- 
stance held  in  her  hand :  — 

"I  adore  you!  You  know  it  well,  angel  of  my  life, 
and—" 

"What  power  have  3^011  over  du  Tillet  that  could 
force  him  to  agree  to  such  terms?"  he  said  with  a  con- 
vulsive laugh  that  came  from  repressed  suspicion. 

"  Do  not  let  us  speak  of  that,"  she  said,  showing 
great  distress. 

"  No,"  said  Popinot,  bewildered ;  "  let  us  rather  talk 
of  the  end  of  all  3'our  troubles."  Anselme  turned  on 
his  heel  towards  the  window,  and  drummed  with  his 
fingers  on  the  panes  as  he  gazed  into  the  court. 
"  Well,"  he  said  to  himself,  "  even  if  she  did  love  du 
Tillet,  is  that  any  reason  why  I  should  not  behave  like 
an  honorable  man  ?  " 

"What  is  the  matter,  my  child?"  said  the  poor 
woman. 

"The  total  of  the  net  profits  of  Cephalic  Oil  mount 
up  to  two  hundred  and  fortj-two  thousand  francs  ;  half 
of  that  is  one  hundred  and  twenty-one  thousand,"  said 
Popinot,  brusquel3\  "  If  I  withdraw  from  that  amount 
the  forty-eight  thousand  francs  which  I  paid  to  Mon- 
sieur Birotteau,  there  remains  seventy-three  thousand, 
which,  joined  to  these  sixt}'^  thousand  paid  for  the  re- 
linquishment of  the  lease,  gives  yo^i  one  hundred  and 
thirty-three  thousand  francs." 

Madame  Cesar  listened  with  fluctuations  of  joy  which 
made  her  tremble  so  violently  that  Popinot  could  hear 
the  beating  of  her  heart. 

"Well,  I  have  always  considered  Monsieur  Birotteau 
as  my  partner,"  he  went  on ;  "we  can  use  this  sum  to 


Ci%ar  Birotteau.  881 

pay  his  creditors  in  full.  Add  the  twenty-eight  thou- 
sand 3'ou  have  saved  and  placed  in  oui-  uncle  Pillerault's 
hands,  and  we  have  one  hundred  and  sixty-one  thou- 
sand francs.  Our  uncle  will  not  refuse  his  receipt 
for  his  own  claim  of  twenty-five  thousand.  No  hu- 
man power  can  deprive  me  of  the  right  of  lending 
to  my  father-in-law,  by  anticipating  our  profits  of 
next  3'ear,  the  necessary  sum  to  make  up  the  total 
amount  due  to  his  creditor,  and  —  he  —  will  —  be  — 
reinstated  —  restored  —  " 

"Restored!"  cried  Madame  Cesar,  falling  on  her 
knees  beside  a  chair.  She  joined  her  hands  and  said  a 
prayer ;  as  she  did  so,  the  letter  slid  from  her  fingers. 
"Dear  Anselme,"  she  said,  crossing  herself,  "dear 
son ! "  She  took  his  head  in  her  hands,  kissed  him 
on  the  forehead,  pressed  him  to  her  heart,  and  seemed 
for  a  moment  beside  herself.  "  Cesarine  is  thine  !  My 
daughter  will  be  happy  at  last.  She  can  leave  that 
shop  where  she  is  killing  herself — " 

"  For  love?"  said  Popinot. 

"  Yes,"  answered  the  mother,  smiling. 

"Listen  to  a  little  secret,"  said  Popinot,  glancing 
at  the  fatal  letter  from  a  corner  of  his  e^-e.  "  I  helped 
Celestin  to  buy  3'our  business  ;  but  I  did  it  on  one  con- 
dition,—  your  appartement  was  to  be  kept  exactly  as 
you  left  it.  I  had  an  idea  in  m^'  head,  though  I  never 
thought  that  chance  would  favor  it  so  much.  Celestin 
is  bound  to  sub-let  to  you  your  old  appartement,  where 
he  has  never  set  foot,  and  where  all  the  furniture  will 
be  yours.  I  have  kept  the  second  stor}',  where  I  shall 
live  with  Cesarine,  who  shall  never  leave  you.  After 
our  marriage  I  shall  come  and  pass  the  days  from  eight 


382  Cisar  Birotteau. 

in  the  morning  till  8ix  in  the  evening  here.  I  will  boy 
out  Monsieur  Cesar's  share  in  this  business  for  a  hun- 
dred thousand  francs,  and  that  will  give  you  an  income 
to  live  on.     Shall  you  not  be  happy  ?  " 

"  Tell  me  no  more,  Anselme,  or  I  shall  go  out  of  my 
mind." 

The  angelic  attitude  of  Madame  Cdsar,  the  purity  of 
her  eyes,  the  innocence  of  her  candid  brow,  contradicted 
so  gloriously  the  thoughts  which  surged  in  the  lover's 
brain  that  he  resolved  to  make  an  end  of  their  mon- 
strosities forever.  Sin  was  incompatible  with  the  life 
and  sentiments  of  such  a  woman. 

"My  dear,  adored  mother,"  said  Anselme,  "in  spite 
of  m3-self,  a  horrible  suspicion  has  entered  my  soul.  If 
you  wish  to  see  me  happy,  you  will  put  an  end  to  it  at 
once." 

Popinot  stretched  out  his  hand  and  picked  up  the 
letter. 

"Without  intending  it,"  he  resumed,  alarmed  at  the 
terror  painted  on  Constance's  face,  "I  read  the  first 
words  of  this  letter  of  du  Tillet.  The  words  coincide 
in  a  singular  manner  with  the  power  you  have  just  shown 
in  forcing  that  man  to  accept  ray  absurd  exactions  ;  any 
man  would  explain  it  as  the  devil  explains  it  to  me,  in 
spite  of  myself.     Your  look  —  three  words  suffice  —  " 

"  Stop  !  "  said  Madame  Cesar,  taking  the  letter  and 
burning  it.  "  My  son,  I  am  severely  punished  for  a 
trifling  error.  You  shall  know  all,  Anselme.  I  shall 
not  allow  a  suspicion  inspired  by  her  mother  to  injure 
my  daughter ;  and  besides,  I  can  speak  without  blush- 
ing. What  I  now  tell  you,  I  could  tell  my  husband. 
Du  Tillet  wished  to  seduce  me ;  I  informed  my  husband 


CSsar  Birotteau.  883 

of  it,  and  du  Tillet  was  to  have  been  dismissed.  On 
the  very  day  my  husband  was  about  to  send  him  away, 
he  robbed  us  of  three  thousand  francs." 

"I  was  sure  of  it!"  said  Popinot,  expressing  his 
hatred  by  the  tones  of  liis  voice. 

"  Anselme,  your  future,  your  happiness,  demand 
this  confidence  ;  but  you  must  let  it  die  in  your  heart, 
just  as  it  is  dead  in  mine  and  in  Cesar's.  Do  you  not 
remember  how  my  husband  scolded  us  for  an  error  in 
the  accounts  ?  Monsieur  Birotteau,  to  avoid  a  police- 
court  which  might  have  destroyed  the  man  for  life,  no 
doubt  placed  in  the  desk  three  thousand  francs,  —  the 
price  of  that  cashmere  shawl  which  I  did  not  receive 
till  three  years  later.  All  this  explains  the  scene. 
Alas  !  m}'  dear  child,  I  must  admit  my  foolishness  ;  da 
Tillet  wrote  me  three  love-letters,  which  pictured  him 
so  well  that  I  kept  them,"  she  said,  lowering  her  e3'es 
and  sighing,  "  as  a  curiosity.  I  have  not  re-read  them 
more  than  once ;  still,  it  was  imprudent  to  keep  them. 
"When  I  saw  du  Tillet  just  now  I  was  reminded  of  them, 
and  I  came  upstairs  to  burn  them  ;  I  was  looking  ovei? 
the  last  as  you  came  in.  That 's  the  whole  story,  mj 
friend." 

Anselme  knelt  for  an  instant  beside  her  and  kissed 
her  hand  with  an  unspeakable  emotion,  which  brought 
tears  into  the  eyes  of  both ;  Madame  C^sar  raised 
him,  stretched  out  her  arms  and  pressed  him  to  her 
heart. 

This  day  was  destined  to  be  a  day  of  joy  to  C^sar. 
The  private  secretarj'^  of  the  king.  Monsieur  de  Van- 
denesse,  called  at  the  Sinking-Fund    Office   to   find 


884  C6iar  Birotteau.^ 

him.  They  walked  out  together  into  the  little  court- 
yard. 

"Monsieur  Birotteau,"  said  the  Vicomte  de  Van- 
denesse,  "  your  efforts  to  pay  your  creditors  in  full  have 
accidentally  become  known  to  the  king.  His  Majest}', 
touched  by  such  rare  conduct,  and  hearing  that  through 
humility  j'ou  no  longer  wear  the  cross  of  the  Legion 
of  honor,  has  sent  me  to  command  you  to  put  it  on 
again.  Moreover,  wishing  to  help  you  in  meeting  your 
obligations,  he  has  charged  me  to  give  you  this  sum 
from  his  privy  purse,  regretting  that  he  is  unable  to 
make  it  larger.  Let  this  be  a  profound  secret.  His 
Majesty  thinks  it  derogatory  to  the  royal  dignity  to  have 
his  good  deeds  divulged,"  said  the  private  secretary, 
putting  six  thousand  francs  into  the  band  of  the  poor 
clerk,  who  listened  to  this  speech  with  unutterable  emo- 
tion. The  words  that  came  to  his  lips  were  discon- 
nected and  stammering.  Vandenesse  waved  his  hand 
to  him,  smiling,  and  went  awa}'. 

The  principle  whix-'h  actuated  poor  Cesar  is  so  rare 
in  Paris  that  his  conduct  by  degrees  attracted  admira- 
tion. Joseph  Lebas,  Popinot  the  judge,  Camusot,  the 
Abbe  Loraux,  Ragon,  the  head  of  the  important  house 
where  Cesarine  was  employed,  Lourdois,  Monsieur  de 
la  Billardiere,  and  others,  talked  of  it.  Public  opinion, 
undergoing  a  change,  now  lauded  him  to  the  skies. 

"He  is  indeed  a  man  of  honor!"  The  phrase  even 
sounded  in  Cesar's  ears  as  he  passed  along  the  streets, 
and  caused  him  the  emotion  an  author  feels  when  he 
hears  the  muttered  words  :  "  That  is  he  !  "  This  noble 
recovery  of  credit  enraged  du  Tillet.  Cesar's  first 
thought  on  receiving  the  bank-notes  sent  by  the  king 


CSsar  Birotteau.  385 

■was  to  use  them  in  paying  the  debt  still  due  to  his 
former  clerk.  The  worthy  man  went  to  the  Rue  de 
la  Chaussee  d'Antin  just  as  the  banker  was  returning 
from  the  Bourse ;  they  met  upon  the  stairway. 

"Well,  my  poor  Birotteau!"  said  du  Tillet,  with  a 
stealthy  glance. 

"  Poor !  "  exclaimed  the  debtor  proudly,  "  I  am  very 
rich.  I  shall  lay  my  head  this  night  upon  my  pillow 
•with  the  happiness  of  knowing  that  I  have  paid  you  in 
fuU." 

This  speech,  ringing  with  integrity,  sent  a  sharp 
pang  through  du  Tillet.  In  spite  of  the  esteem  he 
publicly  enjoyed,  he  did  not  esteem  himself;  an  inex- 
tinguishable voice  cried  aloud  within  his  soul,  "  The 
man  is  sublime  ! " 

"Pay  me?"  he  said;  "  why,  what  business  are  you 
doing  ?  " 

Feeling  sure  that  du  Tillet  would  not  repeat  what  he 
told  him,  Birotteau  answered :  "  I  shall  never  go  back 
to  business,  monsieur.  No  human  power  could  have 
foreseen  what  has  happened  to  me.  Who  knows  that 
I  might  not  be  the  victim  of  another  Roguin  ?  But  my 
conduct  has  been  placed  under  the  ej'es  of  the  king  ;  his 
heart  has  deigned  to  sympathize  with  my  efforts  ;  he  has 
encouraged  them  by  sending  me  a  sum  of  money  large 
enough  to  —  " 

"  Do  you  want  a  receipt?"  said  du  Tillet,  interrupt- 
ing him  ;  "  are  you  going  to  pay —  " 

"  In  full,  with  interest.  I  must  ask  you  to  come  with 
me  now  to  Monsieur  Crottat,  only  two  steps  from 
here." 

"  Before  a  notary? " 

26 


886  CSsar  Birotteau. 

*•  Monsieur,  I  am  not  forbidden  to  aim  at  my  com- 
plete reinstatement ;  to  obtain  it,  all  deeds  and  receipts 
must  be  legal  and  undeniable." 

"  Come,  then,"  said  du  Tillet,  going  out  with  Birot- 
teau ;  "it  is  only  a  step.  But  where  did  you  take  all 
that  money  from  ?  " 

*' I  have  not  taken  it,"  said  Cesar ;  "I  have  earned 
it  by  the  sweat  of  my  brow." 

"  You  owe  an  enormous  sum  to  Claparon." 

' '  Alas  !  yes  ;  that  is  my  largest  debt.  I  think  some- 
times I  shall  die  before  I  pay  it." 

"  You  never  can  pay  it,"  said  du  Tillet  harshly. 

"  He  is  right,"  thought  Birotteau. 

As  he  went  home  the  poor  man  passed,  inadvertently, 
along  the  Rue  Saint-Honore  ;  for  he  was  in  the  habit  of 
making  a  circuit  to  avoid  seeing  his  shop  and  the  win- 
dows of  his  former  home.  For  the  first  time  since  hia 
fall  he  saw  the  house  where  eighteen  years  of  happiness 
had  been  effaced  by  the  anguish  of  three  iponths. 

"I  hoped  to  end  my  days  there,"  he  thought;  and 
he  hastened  his  steps,  for  he  caught  sight  of  the  new 
sign,— 

CfiLESTIN   CREVEL, 
Successor  to  C^sar  Birotteau. 

"  Am  I  dazzled,  am  I  going  blind?  Was  that  Cesar- 
ine  ?  "  he  cried,  recollecting  a  blond  head  he  had  seen 
at  the  window. 

He  had  actually  seen  his  daughter,  his  wife,  and 
Popinot.  The  lovers  knew  that  Birotteau  never  passed 
before  the  windows  of  his  old  home,  and  they  had  come 
to  the  house  to  make  arrangements  for  a  fete  which  they 


CSmr  Birotteau.  387 

intended  to  give  to  him.  This  amazing  apparition  so 
astonished  Birotteau  that  he  stood  stock-still,  unable  to 
move. 

"  There  is  Monsieur  Birotteau  looking  at  his  old 
house,"  said  Monsieur  Molineux  to  the  owner  of  a  shop 
opposite  to  "  The  Queen  of  Roses." 

"  Poor  man  !  "  said  the  perfumer's  former  neighbor ; 
"he  gave  a  fine  ball — two  hundred  carriages  in  the 
street." 

"  I  was  there  ;  and  he  failed  in  three  months,"  said 
Molineux.     "  I  was  the  assignee." 

Birotteau  fled,  trembling  in  every  Umb,  and  hastened 
back  to  Pillerault. 

Pillerault,  who  had  just  been  informed  of  what  had 
happened  in  the  Rue  des  Cinq-Diamants,  feared  that 
his  nephew  was  scarcely  fit  to  bear  {he  shock  of  joy 
which  the  sudden  knowledge  of  his  restoration  would 
cause  him ;  for  Pillerault  was  a  daily  witness  of  the 
moral  struggles  of  the  poor  man,  whose  mind  stood 
alwajs  face  to  face  with  his  inflexible  doctrines  against 
bankruptcy,  and  whose  vital  forces  were  used  and  spent 
at  every  hour.  Honor  was  to  Cesar  a  corpse,  for 
which  an  Easter  morning  might  yet  dawn.  This  hope 
kept  his  sorrow  incessantly  active.  Pillerault  took  upon 
himself  the  duty  of  preparing  his  nephew  to  receive  the 
good  news  ;  and  v  hen  Birotteau  came  in  he  was  think- 
ing over  the  best  means  of  accomplishing  his  purpose. 
Cesar's  joy  as  h'j  related  the  proof  of  interest  which  the 
king  had  besto  ved  upon  him  seemed  of  good  augury, 
and  the  astonishment  he  expressed  at  seeing  Cesarine 
at  "  The  Queen  of  Roses"  aflbrded,  Pillerault  thought, 
an  excellent  opening. 


388  C4%ar  Birotteau, 

"Well,  Cesar,"  said  the  old  man,  "do  you  know 
what  is  at  the  bottom  of  it?  —  the  hurr}^  Popinot  is  in 
to  marry  Cesarine.  He  cannot  wait  any  longer ;  and 
30U  ought  not,  for  the  sake  of  your  exaggerated  ideas 
of  honor,  to  make  him  pass  his  youth  eating  diy  bread 
with  the  fumes  of  a  good  dinner  under  his  nose.  Pop- 
inot wishes  to  lend  jou  the  amount  necessary  to  pay 
your  creditors  in  full." 

"  Then  he  would  buy  his  wife,"  said  Birotteaa. 

"  Is  it  not  honorable  to  reinstate  his  father-in-law?  " 

"  There  would  be  ground  for  contention  ;  besides  — " 

"  Besides,"  exclaimed  Pillerault,  pretending  anger, 
"  you  may  have  the  right  to  immolate  j'ourself  if  you 
choose,  but  you  have  no  right  to  immolate  your 
daughter." 

A  vehement  discussion  ensued,  which  Pillerault 
designedly  excited. 

"  Hey !  if  Popinot  lent  you  nothing,"  cried  Pilleraultj 
"if  he  had  called  you  his  partner,  if  he  had  considered 
the  price  wliich  he  paid  to  the  creditors  for  3'our  share 
in  the  Oil  as  an  advance  upon  the  profits,  so  as  not  to 
strip  you  of  everything  —  " 

"  I  should  have  seemed  to  rob  my  creditors  in 
collusion  with  him." 

Pillerault  feigned  to  be  defeated  by  this  argument. 
He  knew  the  human  heart  well  enough  to  be  certain 
that  during  the  night  C^sar  would  go  over  the  question 
in  his  own  mind,  and  the  mental  discussion  would 
accustom  him  to  the  idea  of  his  complete  vindication. 

"  But  how  came  my  wife  and  daughter  to  be  in  our 
old  appartement?"  asked  Birotteau,  while  they  were 
dining. 


CSsar  Birotteau.  389 

*'  Anselme  wants  to  hire  it,  and  live  therewith  Cesar- 
ine.  Your  wife  is  on  his  side.  They  have  had  the 
banns  published  without  sajdng  anything  about  it,  so 
as  to  force  you  to  consent.  Popinot  says  there  will 
be  much  less  merit  in  marrying  C^sarine  after  you  are 
reinstated.  You  take  six  thousand  francs  from  the 
king,  and  ,you  won't  accept  anything  from  your  rela- 
tions !  I  can  well  aflEbrd  to  give  you  a  receipt  in  full  for 
all  that  is  owing  to  me  ;  do  jou  mean  to  refuse  it ?  " 

"  No,"  said  Cesar;  "  but  that  won't  keep  me  from 
saving  up  everything  to  pay  jou." 

"Irrational  folly!"  cried  Pillerault.  "In  matters 
of  honor  I  ought  to  be  believed.  What  nonsense  were 
3'ou  saying  just  now?  How  have  5'ou  robbed  3"our 
creditors  when  you  have  paid  them  all  in  full  ?  " 

C(isar  looked  earnestl}'  at  Pillerault,  and  Pillerault 
was  touched  to  see,  for  the  first  time  in  three  years,  a 
genuine  smile  on  the  face  of  his  poor  nephew. 

"It  is  true,"  he  said,  "they  would  be  paid ;  but  it 
would  be  selling  my  daughter." 

"  And  I  wish  to  be  bought ! "  cried  C^sarine,  entering 
with  Popinot. 

The  lovers  had  heard  Birotteau's  last  words  as  they 
came  on  tiptoe  through  the  antechamber  of  their  uncle's 
little  appartement,  Madame  Birotteau  following.  All 
three  had  driven  round  to  the  creditors  who  were  still 
unpaid,  requesting  them  to  meet  at  Alexandre  Crottat's 
that  evening  to  receive  their  money.  The  all-powerful 
logic  of  the  enamoured  Popinot  triumphed  in  the  end 
over  Cesar's  scruples,  though  he  persisted  for  some 
time  in  calling  himself  a  debtor,  and  in  declaring  that 
he  was  circumventing  the  law  by  a  substitution.     But 


390  CSsar  Birotteau. 

the  refinements  of  his  conscience  gave  way  when  Popi- 
not  cried  out :  "  Do  you  want  to  kill  your  daughter? " 

"  Kill  my  daughter!  "  said  Cesar,  thunderstruck. 

"  WeU,  then,"  said  Popinot,  "I  have  the  right  to 
convey  to  you  the  sum  which  I  conscientiously  believe 
to  be  your  share  in  my  profits.     Do  you  refuse  it?" 

"  No,"  said  C^sar. 

"  Very  good  ;  then  let  us  go  at  once  to  Crottat  and 
settle  the  matter,  so  that  there  may  be  no  backing  out 
of  it.  We  will  arrange  about  our  marriage  contract  at 
the  same  time." 

A  petition  for  reinstatement  with  corroborative  docu- 
ments was  at  once  deposited  by  Derville  at  the  office  of 
the  procureur- general  of  the  Cour  royale. 

During  the  month  required  for  the  legal  fonnalities 
and  for  the  publication  of  the  banns  of  marriage  be- 
tween Cesarine  and  Anselme,  Birotteau  was  a  prey  to 
feverish  agitation.  He  was  restless.  He  feared  he 
should  not  live  till  the  great  day  when  the  decree  for 
his  vindication  would  be  rendered.  His  heart  throbbed, 
he  said,  without  cause.  He  complained  of  dull  pains  in 
that  organ,  worn  out  as  it  was  by  emotions  of  sorrow, 
and  now  wearied  with  the  rush  of  excessive  joy.  De- 
crees of  rehabilitation  are  so  rare  in  the  bankrupt  court 
of  Paris  that  seldom  more  than  one  is  granted  in  ten 
years. 

To  those  persons  who  take  society  in  its  serious  as- 
pects, the  paraphernalia  of  justice  has  a  grand  and  sol- 
emn character  difficult  perhaps  to  define.  Institutions 
depend  altogether  on  the  feelings  with  which  men  view 
them  and  the  degree  of  grandeur  which  men's  thoughts 


CSiwr  Birotteau.  891 

attach  to  them.  When  there  is  no  longer,  we  will  not 
say  religion,  but  belief  among  the  people,  whenever 
early  education  has  loosened  all  conservative  bonds  by 
accustoming  youth  to  the  practice  of  pitiless  anal^'sis,  a 
nation  will  be  found  in  process  of  dissolution ;  for  it  will 
then  be  held  together  only  by  the  base  solder  of  mate- 
rial interests,  and  by  the  formulas  of  a  creed  created 
by  intelligent  egotism. 

Bred  in  religious  ideas,  Birotteau  held  justice  to  be 
what  it  ought  to  be  in  the  eyes  of  men,  —  a  representation 
of  society  itself,  an  august  utterance  of  the  will  of  all, 
apart  from  the  particular  form  by  which  it  is  expressed. 
The  older,  feebler,  grayer  was  the  magistrate,  the  more 
solemn  seemed  the  exercise  of  his  function,  —  a  func- 
tion which  demands  profound  study  of  men  and  things, 
which  subdues  the  heart  and  hardens  it  against  the 
influence  of  eager  interests.  It  is  a  rare  thing  nowa- 
days to  find  men  who  mount  the  stairway  of  the  old 
Palais  de  Justice  in  the  grasp  of  keen  emotions.  Cesar 
Birotteau  was  one  of  those  men. 

Few  persons  have  noticed  the  majestic  solemnity  of 
that  stairway,  admirably  placed  as  it  is  to  produce  a  sol- 
emn effect.  It  rises,  beyond  the  outer  peristyle  which 
adorns  the  courtyard  of  the  Palais,  from  the  centre  of 
a  gallery  leading,  at  one  end,  to  the  vast  hall  of  the 
Pas  Perdus,  and  at  the  other  to  the  Sainte-Chapelle,  — 
two  architectural  monuments  which  make  all  buildings 
in  their  neighborhood  seem  paltry.  The  church  of 
Saint-Louis  is  among  the  most  imposing  edifices  in 
Paris,  and  the  approach  to  it  through  this  long  gallery 
is  at  once  sombre  and  romantic.  The  great  hall  of  the 
Pas  Perdus,  on  the  contrary,  presents  at  the  other  end 


892  CSsar  Birotteau. 

of  the  galler}'  a  broad  space  of  light ;  it  is  impossible 
to  forget  that  the  history  of  France  is  linked  to  those 
walls.  The  stairway  should  therefore  be  imposing  in 
character ;  and,  in  point  of  fact,  it  is  neither  dwarfed 
nor  crushed  hy  the  architectural  splendors  on  either 
side  of  it.  Possibly  the  mind  is  sobered  by  a  glimpse, 
caught  through  the  rich  gratings,  of  the  Place  du  Palais 
de-Justice,  where  so  many  sentences  have  been  executed. 
The  staircase  opens  above  into  an  enormous  space,  or 
antechamber,  leading  to  the  hall  where  the  Court  holds 
its  public  sittings. 

Imagine  the  emotions  with  which  the  bankrupt,  sus- 
ceptible by  nature  to  the  awe  of  such  accessories,  went 
up  that  stairway  to  the  hall  of  judgment,  surrounded 
by  his  nearest  friends,  —  Lebas,  president  of  the  Court 
of  Commerce,  Camusot  his  former  judge,  Ragon,  and 
Monsieur  I'Abbe  Loraux  his  confessor.  The  pious 
priest  made  the  splendors  of  human  justice  stand  forth 
in  strong  relief  by  reflections  which  gave  them  still 
greater  solemnity  in  Cesar's  eyes.  Pillerault,  the  prac- 
tical philosopher,  fearing  the  danger  of  unexpected 
events  on  the  worn  mind  of  his  nephew,  had  schemed 
to  prepare  him  by  degrees  for  the  joys  of  this  festal  day. 
Just  as  Cesar  finished  dressing,  a  number  of  his  faithful 
friends  arrived,  all  eager  for  the  honor  of  accompanying 
him  to  the  bar  of  the  Court.  The  presence  of  this 
retinue  roused  the  honest  man  to  an  elation  which  gave 
him  strength  to  meet  the  imposing  spectacle  in  the  halls 
of  justice.  Birotteau  found  more  friends  awaiting  him 
in  the  solemn  audience  chamber,  where  about  a  dozen 
members  of  the  council  were  in  session. 

After  the  cases  were  called  over,  Birotteau's  attorney 


C6sar  Birotteau.  393 

made  his  demand  for  reinstatement  in  the  usual  terms. 
On  a  sign  from  tlie  presiding  judge,  the  procureur- 
g^neral  rose.  In  the  name  of  his  office  this  public 
prosecutor,  the  representative  of  public  vindictiveness, 
asked  that  honor  might  be  restored  to  the  merchant 
who  had  never  really  lost  it,  —  a  solitary  instance  of 
such  an  appeal ;  for  a  condemned  man  can  only  be  par- 
doned. Men  of  honor  alone  can  imagine  the  emotions 
of  Cdsar  Birotteau  as  he  heard  Monsieur  de  Grand- 
ville  pronounce  a  speech,  of  which  the  following  is  an 
abridgment :  — 

" Gentlemen,"  said  that  celebrated  official,  "on  the  16th 
of  January,  1820,  Birotteau  was  declared  a  bankrupt  by  the 
commercial  tribunal  of  the  Seine.  His  failure  was  not 
caused  by  imprudence,  nor  by  rash  speculations,  nor  by 
any  act  that  stained  his  honor.  We  desire  to  say  publicly 
that  this  failure  was  the  result  of  a  disaster  which  has  again 
and  again  occurred,  to  the  detriment  of  justice  and  the  great 
injury  of  the  city  of  Paris.  It  has  been  reserved  for  our 
generation,  in  which  the  bitter  leaven  of  republican  principles 
and  manners  will  long  be  felt,  to  behold  the  notariat  of  Paris 
abandoning  the  glorious  traditions  of  preceding  centuries,  and 
producing  in  a  few  years  as  many  failures  as  two  centuries 
of  the  old  monarchy  had  produced.  The  thirst  for  gold 
rapidly  acquired  has  beset  even  these  officers  of  trust,  these 
guardians  of  the  public  wealth,  these  mediators  between  the 
law  and  the  people  !  " 

On  this  text  followed  an  allocution,  in  which  the 
Comte  de  Grandville,  obedient  to  the  necessities  of  his 
r&le,  contrived  to  incriminate  the  Liberals,  the  Bona- 
partists,  and  all  other  enemies  of  the  throne.  Subse- 
quent events  have  proved  that  he  had  reason  for  hia 
apprehensions. 


394  Ciiar  Birotteau. 

"The  flight  of  a  notary  of  Paris  who  carried  off  the 
funds  which  Birotteau  had  deposited  in  his  hands,  caused 
the  fall  of  your  petitioner,"  he  resumed.  "The  Court  ren- 
dered in  that  matter  a  decree  which  showed  to  what  extent 
the  confidence  of  Roguin's  clients  had  been  betrayed.  A 
concordat  was  held.  For  the  honor  of  your  petitioner,  we 
call  attention  to  the  fact  that  his  proceedings  were  remark- 
able for  a  purity  not  found  in  any  of  the  scandalous  failures 
which  daily  degrade  the  commerce  of  Paris.  The  creditors 
of  Birotteau  received  the  whole  property,  down  to  the  smallest 
articles  that  the  unfortunate  man  possessed.  They  received, 
gentlemen,  his  clothes,  his  jewels,  things  of  purely  personal 
use,  • —  and  not  only  his,  but  those  of  his  wife,  who  abandoned 
all  her  rights  to  swell  the  total  of  his  assets.  Under  these 
circumstances  Birotteau  showed  himself  worthy  of  the  respect 
which  his  municipal  functions  had  already  acquired  for  him; 
for  he  was  at  the  time  a  deputy-mayor  of  the  second  arron- 
dissement  and  had  just  received  the  decoration  of  the  Legion 
of  honor,  granted  as  much  for  his  devotion  to  the  royal 
cause  in  Vendemiaire,  on  the  steps  of  Saint-Roch,  which 
were  stained  with  his  blood,  as  for  his  conciliating  spirit,  his 
estimable  qualities  as  a  magistrate,  and  the  modesty  with 
which  he  declined  the  honors  of  the  mayoralty,  pointing 
out  one  more  worthy  of  them,  the  Baron  de  la  Billardifere, 
one  of  those  noble  Vendeens  whom  he  had  learned  to  value 
in  the  dark  days." 

*'  That  phrase  is  better  than  mine,"  whispered  C^sar 
to  Pillerault. 

*' At  that  time  the  creditors,  who  received  sixty  per  cent 
of  their  claims  through  the  aforesaid  relinquishment  on  the 
part  of  this  loyal  merchant,  his  wife,  and  his  daughter  of  all 
that  they  possessed,  recorded  their  respect  for  their  debtor  in 
the  certificate  of  bankruptcy  granted  at  the  concordat  which 
then  took  place,  giving  him  at  the  same  time  a  release  from 


Ciiar  Birotteau.  395 

the  remainder  of  their  claims.    This  testimonial  is  couched  in 
terms  which  are  worthy  of  the  attention  of  the  Court." 

Here  the  procureur-gdneral  read  the  passage  from 
the  certificate  of  bankruptcy. 

"  After  receiving  such  expressions  of  good- will,  gentle- 
men, most  merchants  would  have  considered  themselves 
released  from  obligation  and  free  to  return  boldly  into  the 
vortex  of  business.  Far  from  so  doing,  Birotteau,  without 
allowing  himself  to  be  cast  down,  resolved  within  his  con- 
science to  toil  for  the  glorious  day  which  has  at  length 
dawned  for  him  here.  Nothing  disheartened  him.  Our 
beloved  sovereign  granted  to  the  man  who  shed  his  blood 
on  the  steps  of  Saint-Roch  an  oflBce  where  he  might  earn 
his  bread.  The  salary  of  that  oflBce  the  bankrupt  laid  by  for 
his  creditors,  taking  nothing  for  his  own  wants;  for  family 
devotion  has  supported  him." 

Birotteau  pressed  his  uncle's  hand,  weeping. 

*•  His  wife  and  his  daughter  poured  their  earnings  into 
the  common  fund,  for  they  too  espoused  the  noble  hope 
of  Birotteau.  Each  came  down  from  the  position  she  had 
held  and  took  an  inferior  one.  These  sacrifices,  gentlemen, 
should  be  held  in  honor,  for  they  are  harder  than  all  others 
to  bear.  I  will  now  show  you  what  sort  of  task  it  was  that 
Birotteau  imposed  upon  himself." 

Here  the  procureur-g^ncral  read  a  summing-up  of  the 
schedule,  giving  the  amounts  which  had  remained  unpaid 
and  the  names  of  the  creditors. 

"  Each  of  these  sums,  with  the  interest  thereon,  has  been 
paid,  gentlemen ;  and  the  payment  is  not  shown  by  receipts 
under  private  seal,  which  might  be  questioned :  they  are  pay- 
ments made  before  a  notary,  properly  authenticated  ;  and  ac- 
cording to  the  inflexible  requirements  of  this  Court  they  have 


396  CSsar  Birotteau. 

been  examined  and  verified  by  the  proper  authority.  We 
now  ask  you  to  restore  Birotteau,  not  to  honor,  but  to  all 
the  rights  of  which  he  was  deprived.  In  doing  this  you  are 
doing  justice.  Such  exhibitions  of  character  are  so  rare  in 
this  Court  that  we  cannot  refrain  from  testifying  to  the 
petitioner  how  lieartily  we  applaud  his  conduct,  which  an 
august  approval  has  already  privately  encouraged." 

The  prosecuting  officer  closed  by  reading  his  charge 
in  the  customary  formal  terms. 

The  Court  deliberated  without  retiring,  and  the  presi- 
dent rose  to  pronounce  judgment. 

"  The  Court,"  he  said,  in  closing,  "  desires  me  to  express 
to  Birotteau  the  satisfaction  with  which  it  renders  such  a 
judgment.     Clerk,  call  the  next  case." 

Birotteau,  clothed  with  the  caftan  of  honor  which  the 
speech  of  the  illustrious  procureur-general  had  cast 
about  him,  stood  dumb  with  joy  as  he  listened  to  the 
solemn  words  of  the  president,  which  betrayed  the  quiv- 
erings of  a  heart  beneath  the  impassibilitj'  of  huraaa 
justice.  He  was  unable  to  stir  from  his  place  before 
the  bar,  and  seemed  for  a  moment  nailed  there,  gazing 
at  the  judges  with  a  wondering  air,  as  though  they  were 
angels  opening  to  him  the  gates  of  social  life.  His  uncle 
took  him  by  the  arm  and  led  him  from  the  hall.  Cesar 
had  not  as  ^et  obeyed  the  command  of  Louis  XVIH., 
but  he  now  mechanically  fastened  the  ribbon  of  the 
Legion  of  honor  to  his  button-hole.  In  a  moment  he 
was  surrounded  b}'^  his  friends  and  borne  in  triumph 
down  the  great  stairway  to  his  coach. 

"  Where  are  you  taking  me,  my  friends?"  he  said  to 
Joseph  Lebas,  Pillerault,  and  Ragon. 

*'  To  your  own  home." 


CSsar  Birotteau,  897 

"  No ;  it  is  only  three  o'clock.  I  wish  to  go  to  the 
Bourse,  and  use  m}-  rights." 

"  To  the  Bourse !"  said  Pillerault  to  the  coachman, 
making  an  expressive  sign  to  Joseph  Lebas,  for  he  saw 
symptoms  in  Cesar  which  led  him  to  fear  he  might  lose 
his  mind. 

The  late  perfumer  re-entered  the  Bourse  leaning  on 
the  arms  of  the  two  honored  merchants,  his  uncle  and 
Joseph  Lebas.  The  news  of  his  rehabilitation  had  pre- 
ceded him.  The  first  person  who  saw  them  enter,  fol- 
lowed hy  Ragon,  was  du  Tillet. 

"  Ah!  my  dear  master,"  he  cried,  "  I  am  delighted 
that  5'ou  have  pulled  through.  I  have  perhaps  contrib- 
uted to  this  happy  ending  of  your  troubles  by  letting 
that  little  Popinot  drag  a  feather  from  my  wing.  I 
am  as  glad  of  your  happiness  as  if  it  were  my  own." 

"  You  could  not  be  otherwise,"  said  Pillerault. 
"  Such  a  thing  can  never  happen  to  3'ou." 

"  What  do  you  mean  by  that?  "  said  du  Tillet. 

"Oh!  all  in  good  part,"  said  Lebas,  smiling  at  the 
malicious  meaning  of  Pillerault,  who,  without  knowing 
the  real  truth,  considered  the  man  a  scoundrel. 

Matifat  caught  sight  of  Cesar,  and  immediately  the 
most  noted  merchants  surrounded  him  and  gave  him 
an  ovation  boursiere.  He  was  overwhelmed  with  fllat- 
tering  compliments  and  grasped  by  the  hand,  which 
roused  some  jealousy  and  caused  some  remorse ;  for 
out  of  every  hundred  persons  walking  about  that  hall 
fift}'  at  least  had  "liquidated"  their  affairs.  Gigon- 
net  and  Gobseck,  who  were  talking  together  in  a  cor- 
ner, looked  at  the  man  of  commercial  honor  very  much 
as  a  naturalist  must  have  looked  at  the  first  electric-eel 


898  Ci%ar  Birotteau. 

that  was  ever  brought  to  him,  —  a  fish  armed  with  the 
power  of  a  Leaden  jar,  which  is  the  greatest  curiosity 
of  the  animal  kingdom.  After  inbaUng  the  incense  of 
his  triumph,  Cesar  got  into  the  coach  to  go  to  his  own 
home,  where  the  marriage  contract  of  his  dear  Cesarine 
and  the  devoted  Popinot  was  ready  for  signature.  His 
nervous  laugh  disturbed  the  minds  of  the  three  old 
friends. 

It  is  a  fault  of  youth  to  think  the  whole  world  vigor- 
ous with  its  own  vigor,  —  a  fault  derived  from  its  virtues. 
Youth  sees  neither  men  nor  things  through  spectacles ; 
it  colors  all  with  the  reflex  glory  of  its  ardent  fires,  and 
casts  the  superabundance  of  its  own  life  upon  the  aged. 
Like  Cesar  and  like  Constance,  Popinot  held  in  his 
memory  a  glowing  recollection  of  the  famous  ball. 
Constance  and  Cesar  through  their  years  of  trial  had 
often,  though  they  never  spoke  of  it  to  each  other, 
heard  the  strains  of  CoUinet's*  orchestra,  often  beheld 
that  festive  company,  and  tasted  the  joys  so  swiftly  and 
so  cruelly  chastised,  —  as  Adam  and  Eve  must  have 
tasted  in  after  times  the  forbidden  fruit  which  gave 
both  death  and  life  to  all  posterity' ;  for  it  appears  that 
the  generation  of  angels  is  a  mj^sterv'  of  the  skies. 

Popinot,  however,  could  dream  of  the  lete  without 
remorse,  nay,  with  ecstasy.  Had  not  Cesarine  in  all 
her  glor}'  then  promised  herself  to  him  — to  him,  poor? 
During  that  evening  had  he  not  won  the  assurance  that 
he  was  loved  for  himself  alone  ?  So  when  he  lx»ught  the 
apparteraent  restored  by  Grindot,  for  Celestin,  when 
he  stipulated  that  all  should  be  kept  intact,  when  he 
religiously  preserved  the  smallest  things  that  once  be- 
longed to  Cesar  and  to  Constance,  he  was  dreaming  of 


C6Bar  Birotteau.  39J* 

another  ball,  —  hi8  ball,  his  wedding-ball !  He  made 
loving  preparation  for  it,  imitating  his  old  master  in 
necessar}'  expenses,  but  eschewing  aU  follies,  —  foUieis 
that  were  now  past  and  done  with.  So  the  dinner  was 
to  be  served  by  Chevet ;  the  guests  were  to  be  mostly 
the  same :  the  Abbe  Loraux  replaced  the  chancellor 
of  the  Legion  of  honor ;  the  president  of  the  Court  of 
Commerce,  Monsieur  Lebas,  had  promised  to  be  there ; 
Popinot  invited  Monsieur  Camusot  in  acknowledgment 
of  the  kindness  he  had  bestowed  upon  Birotteau  ;  Mon- 
sieur de  Vandenesse  and  Monsieur  de  Fontaine  took 
the  place  of  Roguin  and  his  wife.  Cesarine  and  Popi- 
not distributed  their  invitations  with  much  discretion. 
Both  dreaded  the  publicity  of  a  wedding,  and  they 
escaped  the  jar  such  scenes  must  cause  to  pure  and 
tender  hearts  by  giving  the  ball  on  the  evening  of  the 
day  appointed  for  signing  the  marriage-contract. 

Constance  found  in  her  room  the  gown  of  cherry 
velvet  in  which  she  had  shone  for  a  single  night  with 
fleeting  splendor.  Cesarine  cherished  a  dream  of  ap- 
pearing before  Popinot  in  the  identical  ball-dress  about 
which,  time  and  time  again,  he  had  talked  to  her.  The 
appartement  was  made  ready  to  present  to  Cesar's  eyes 
the  same  enchanting  scene  he  had  once  enjo3ed  for  a 
single  evening.  Neither  Constance,  nor  Cesarine,  nor 
Popinot  perceived  the  dangef  to  Cesar  in  this  sudden 
and  overwhelming  surprise,  and  they  awaited  his  arrival 
at  four  o'clock  with  a  delight  that  was  almost  childish. 

Following  close  upon  the  unspeakable  emotion  his 
re-entrance  at  the  Bourse  had  caused  him,  the  hero  of 
commercial  honor  was  now  to  meet  the  sudden  shock 
of  felicity  that  awaited  him  in  his  old  home.      He 


400  CSaar  Birotteau. 

entered  the  house,  and  saw  at  the  foot  of  the  staircase 
(still  new  as  he  had  left  it)  his  wife  in  her  velvet  robe, 
Cdsarine,  the  Comte  de  Fontaine,  the  Vieorate  de  Vande- 
•nesse,  the  Baron  de  la  Billardiere,  the  illustrious  Vau- 
quelin.  A  light  film  dimmed  his  eyes,  and  his  uncle 
Pillerault,  who  held  his  arm,  felt  him  shudder  inwardly. 

"  It  is  too  much,"  said  the  philosopher  to  the  happy 
lover ;  "  he  can  never  carr}'  all  the  wine  yo\x  are  pouring 
out  to  him." 

Joy  was  so  vivid  in  their  hearts  that  each  attributed 
Cesar's  emotion  and  his  stumbling  step  to  the  natural 
intoxication  of  his  feelings,  —  natural,  but  sometimes 
mortal.  When  he  found  himself  once  more  in  his  own 
home,  when  he  saw  his  salon,  his  guests,  the  women  in 
their  ball-dresses,  suddenly  the  heroic  measure  in  the 
finale  of  the  great  s3'mphon3'  rang  forth  in  his  head 
and  heart.  Beethoven's  ideal  music  echoed,  vibrated, 
in  many  tones,  sounding  its  clarions  through  the  mem- 
branes of  the  weary  brain,  of  which  it  was  indeed  the 
grand  finale. 

Oppressed  with  this  inward  harmony,  Cesar  took  the 
arm  of  his  wife  and  whispered,  in  a  voice  suffocated  by 
a  rush  of  blood  that  was  still  repressed:  "  I  am  not 
well." 

Constance,  alarmed,  led  him  to  her  bedroom ;  he 
reached  it  with  diflflculty,  and  fell  into  a  chair,  sa3ing : 
"Monsieur  Haudry,  Monsieur  Loraux." 

The  Abbe  Loraux  came,  followed  b}'  the  guests  and 
the  women  in  their  ball-dresses,  who  stopped  short,  a 
frightened  group.  In  presence  of  that  shining  company 
Cesar  pressed  the  hand  of  his  confessor  and  laid  his 
head  upon  the  bosom  of  his  kneeling  wife.     A  vessel 


CSsar  Birotteau.  401 

had  broken  in  his  breast,  and  the  rush  of  blood  strangled 
his  last  sigh. 

"  Behold  the  death  of  the  righteous  !  "  said  the  Abb6 
Loraux  solemnly,  pointing  to  C^sar  with  the  divine  ges- 
ture which  Rembrandt  gave  to  Christ  in  his  picture  of 
the  Raising  of  Lazarus. 

Jesus  commanded  the  earth  to  give  up  its  prey  ;  the 
priest  called  heaven  to  behold  a  martyr  of  commercial 
honor  worthy  to  receive  the  everlasting  palm. 


26 


University  Press :  Jobn  Wilson  &  Son,  Cambridge. 


BALZAC     IN     ENG-LISH. 


THE    ALKAHEST; 

Or^  The  House  of  Claes. 


Among  the  novels  of  Honor^  de  Balzac  "  La  Recherche  de  I'Absohj "  has 
always  coiinied  cue  of  the  masterpieces.  The  terrible  dominion  of  a  fixed  idea 
was  never  shown  with  more  tremendous  force  than  is  depicted  in  the  absorption  of 
all  the  powers,  the  mind,  and  body  of  Balthazar  Claes  by  the  desire  to  discover 
the  Absolute,  the  "  Alkahest."  The  lovely  old  mansion  at  L)uai,  its  sumptuous 
furniture,  its  priceless  pictures,  its  rare  bric-4-brac,  the  pyramid  of  costly  tulips 
that  glowed  in  the  garden,  are  painted  with  a  touch  rich  and  vivid,  which  shows 
Balzac  at  his  best.  This  great  novelist  was  always  minute  and  exhaustive  in  his 
descriptions;  but  in  this  story  the  material  in  which  he  worked  was  of  a  sort  to 
arouse  his  enthusiasm,  and  he  evidently  revels  in  the  attractive  setting  which  its 
events  demand.     The  tale  itself  is  penetrating  and  powerful.  —  Boston  Courier. 

The  "  Alkahest  "  is  a  strong  story,  and  ail  through  it  is  to  be  felt  that  sub- 
current  of  vitalizing  energy  which  in  so  many  of  Balzac's  books  .seems  to  pri  pel 
the  principal  characters  as  in  a  special  atmosphere,  hurrying  them  with  a  kind  of 
fiery  yet  restrained  impatience  toward  the  doom  assigned  them.  .  .  .  The  scien- 
tific and  mystical  features  of  the  story  are  cleverly  handled.  Balzac  made  deep 
inquests  before  writing  his  philosophical  studies,  as  he  called  them,  and  he  was 
always  rather  ahead  thau  abreast  of  the  thoughts  of  his  time.  The  central  prob- 
lem dealt  with  here  is,  of  course,  as  complete  a  mystery  to-day  as  when  the 
"  Recherche  de  I'Absolu  "  was  written.  .  .  .  Miss  Wormeley  has  made  a  charao 
teristically  excellent  translation  of  a  book  which  presents  many  unusual  difficulties 
and  abstruse  points.  It  is  rarely  possible  to  assert  with  any  truth  that  an  English 
version  of  a  French  book  may  be  read  by  the  public  with  nearly  as  much  profit 
and  apprehension  as  the  original ;  but  it  is  the  simple  fact  in  this  instance,  and  it 
is  certainly  remarkable  enough  to  deserve  emphasis.  — New  York  Tribune. 

He  who  would  know  the  art  of  novel-writing  may  go  to  Balzac  and  find  an  art 
that  is  natural,  simple,  and  beautiful  in  its  exercise,  and  is  directed  to  both  thought 
and  feeling  in  behalf  of  humanity,  and  that  realizes  something  good  and  enduring. 
He  may  look  without  much  trouble  at  "  The  Alkahest ;  or,  The  House  of  ClaeSj" 
one  of  the  most  illustrative  of  the  author's  method  and  aim,  and  excelling  in 
philosophical  analysis  and  in  philosophical  value. 

In  this  work  Balzac  has  opposed  the  heart  and  intellect  in  a  contest  amid  the 
conditions  of  social  life,  and  sought  to  reveal  their  comparative  nature  and  influ- 
ence, siding,  although  a  remarkable  example  himself  of  intellectual  development 
and  force,  in  favor  of  the  heart,  —  that  Flemish  heart  which  is  ideal  of  all  that  u 
powerful  for  good  and  happiness  in  domestic  life,  and  determines  Flemish  charac- 
ter so  strongly  that  the  qualities  o£  that  character  impress  themselves  fixedly  in 
Flemish  painting  and  architecture.  —  Sunday  Globe,  Boston. 

One  more  scene  in  Balzac's  wonderful  "  Comedy  of  Human  Life."  It  is  "  The 
Alkahest;  or,  The  House  of  Claes,"  the  greatest  of  the  "philosophical  studies." 
It  tells  of  the  mad,  persistent,  vain  endeavors  of  Balthazar,  a  scientist,  to  dis- 
cover the  Absolute.  Through  years  he  squanders  his  estate  in  fruitless  experi- 
ments. It  is  a  drama  that  slowly  chills  the  blood.  Then  comes  the  finale. 
"  Suddenly  the  dying  man  raised  himself  by  bis  wrists,  and  cast  on  his  frightened 
children  a  look  which  struck  like  lightning  :  the  hairs  that  fringed  the  bald  head 
stirred,  the  wrinkles  quivered,  the  features  were  illumined  with  spiritual  fires,  a 
breath  passed  across  that  face  and  rendered  it  sublime.  He  raised  a  hand 
clenched  in  fury,  and  uttered  with  a  piercing  cry  the  famous  word  of  Archimedes, 
'  Eureka  I '  —  I  have  found."  It  is  the  way  Balthazar  found  the  Absolute.  — 
Philadelphia  Press. 

One  handsome  \2mo  volume,  uniform  with  " Pkre  Goriot"  "  The 
Ditchesse  de  Langeais"  "  Char  Birotteau"  "  Eugenie  Grandet," 
"  Cousin  Pons,"  "  The  Country  Doctor,"  and "  The  Two  Brothers" 
Bound  in  half  morocco,  French  style.    Price,  $1.50. 

ROBERTS   BROTHERS    "f^lishers.  Bostow. 


BALZAC    IN    ENGLISH. 


COUSIN    PONS. 


"  It  is  late  in  the  day  to  speak  of  the  genius  of  Balzac,  but  it  is  worth  while  to 
cotnmend  the  reader  to  the  admirable  translation  of  a  number  of  his  works 
issued  by  an  American  firm  of  publishers.  The  work  of  Miss  Wormeley,  whose 
name  does  not  appear  upon  the  titlepage,  but  who  is  said  to  be  the  translator,  is 
deserving  of  the  highest  praise.  Balzac's  intensely  idiomatic  French,  as  well  as 
his  occasional  treatment  of  recondite  subjects,  and  his  frequent  elucidation  of 
complicated  business  transactions,  render  the  translation  of  his  works  difhcult ;  but 
the  present  translator  has  turned  the  original  into  clear  and  fluent  English,  read- 
ing not  at  all  like  a  translation,  yet  preserving  Balzac's  vigorous  and  characteristic 
style.  It  is  not  only  the  best  translation  of  Balzac  which  we  have,  —  which  would 
not  be  high  praise,  since  English  versions  of  his  novels  have  hitherto  been  few  and 
fragmentary,  —  but  one  of  the  most  excellent  translations  of  any  French  author 
which  we  have  met.  The  publishers  have  laid  the  American  readers  under 
obligation  both  by  undertaking  the  enterprise  of  presenting  Balzac  in  an  English 
dress,  and  by  their  selection  of  a  translator ;  and  it  is  most  desirable  that  they 
should  complete  the  work  so  well  begun  by  putting  within  the  reach  of  English- 
speaking  readers  the  remainder  of  that  marvellous  body  of  fiction,  The  Cotntdit 
Huntaine."  —  The  Church  Revie-w.  f 

"  '  Cousin  Pons '  is  the  latest  translation  in  the  Balzac  series  now  being  issued 
by  Roberts  Brothers,  Boston.  It  is  a  strong  story  of  friendship  and  of  greed.  To 
all  intents  and  purposes  the  narrative  indicates  a  complete  and  perfect  triumph  of 
vice  over  virtue  ;  but  vice  is  painted  in  such  hideous  colors,  and  virtue  is  shown  in 
such  effulgent  beauty,  as  to  make  the  moral  well-nigh  ?we-inspiring.  Balzac  does 
not  stay  the  natural  course  of  events.  He  permits  each  character  to  work  out  its 
own  results,  and  then  makes  the  impression  desired  by  comparative  methods.  In 
this,  as  in  all  his  works,  the  wonderful  writer  manifests  a  familiarity  with  the 
ethics  of  life  which  has  gained  for  him  the  eternal  remembrance  and  gratitude 
of  ail  readers ;  and  it  is  fair  to  presume  that  the  Balzac  now  being  translated  and 
published  by  the  Roberts  Brothers  will  revive  his  name  and  bring  again  to  his 
feet  the  world  of  English-speaking  people."  — Sfiringfield  Republican. 

"The  last  translation  from  Balzac  brought  out  by  Roberts  Brothers  in  their 
new  and  beautiful  edition  is  one  of  the  famous  Frenchman's  most  original  stories. 
It  is,  in  fact,  one  of  the  most  extraordinary  and  original  novels  ever  written,  and 
only  the  mind  of  a  genius  could  have  conceived  such  a  peculiar  plot.  The  heroine 
of  the  novel  —  for  whom  the  principal  character  sacrifices  his  comfort,  his  pleasure, 
and  indeed  his  life;  for  whom  many  other  characters  in  the  book  sacrifice  their 
honor  ;  and  around  whom  all  the  excitement  and  interest  centres  —  is,  strangely 
enough,  not  a  woman  ;  and  yet  this  heroine  calls  forth  the  most  ardent  and 
passionate  devotion  a  man  is  capable  of,  and  her  influence  is  elevating  and  not 
degrading.  The  manner  in  which  a  mania  of  any  kind  can  absorb  a  man,  body 
and  soul,  is  wonderfully  brought  out  in  'Cousin  Pons;'  for  the  heroine  of  the 
book  is  a  collection  of  curios. 

"  Those  who  have  formed  a  hasty  judgment  of  Balzac  from  reading  the  '  Duchesse 
de  Langeais'  would  do  well  to  read  'Cousin  Pons.'  Balzac  sees  and  depicts 
virtue  as  perfectly  as  vice,  and  it  is  his  faculty  of  describing  beauty  as  well  as 
ugliness  which  has  made  him  famous.  The  delicacy  of  perception  which  enabled 
him  to  perceive  and  describe  every  shade  of  feeling  in  '  Cousin  Pons '_  and  to 
appreciate  the  nobility  of  Schmucke's  character  is  the  chief  characteristic  of 
genius.  The  reader  must  read  all  the  '  Scenes  from  Parisian  Life  '  to  have  any 
full  conception  of  Balzac's  greatness.  His  breadth  of  vision,  his  dramatic  power, 
his  searching  analysis  ol'  the  most  transient  emotions,  and  his  quick  perceptions  of 
beauty,  are  all  evident  in  'Cousin  Pons.'  It  is  an  interesting,  exciting  novel,  a 
perfect  piece  of  literary  execution,  and  a  story  which  is,  if  sad,  neither  coarse  nor 
unmoral."  —  Boston  Transcript,  ^ 

One  handsome  i2mo  volume,  uniform  with  "  Pere  Goriot," 
*'  Duchesse  de  Langeais,"  "  Cesar  Birotteau,"  "  Eugenie  Grandet." 
Bound  in  half  morocco,  French  style.     Price,  JSi.so. 

ROBERTS    BROTHERS,   Publishers,  Boston. 


BALZAC    IN    ENGLISH. 


THE   COUNTRY  DOCTOR. 


"  That  exceed!  ngly  rare  thing,  —  a  French  novel  possessing  all  the  virile  nervous- 
ness of  its  kind  and  yet  wholesome  to  the  core,  elevating  in  its  tendency,  and  frea 
even  from  the  slightest  moral  taint  or  uncleanness,  —  we  have  it  in  Balzac's  '  Coun- 
try Doctor.'  It  IS,  if  we  mistake  not,  the  fifth  of  the  series  of  Balzac  translations 
which  the  well-known  Boston  firm  had  the  enterprise  and  the  good  fortune  to 
publish.  For  though  somewhat  daring  at  first  as  an  experiment,  there  is  now 
no  doubt  that  as  the  publishers  sensibly  enriched  English  literature  by  those  ex- 
quisite translations  of  an  author  all  too  long  neglected  and  overlooked  by  English- 
speaking  people,  so  the  venture  has  also  proved  a  profitable  one  for  them  in  a 
monetary  sense.  And  here  it  must  be  said  that  if  regret  at  anything  in  this  book 
has  to  be  expressed  it  is  because  of  the  continued  omission  of  tlie  name  of  the 
translator.  In  that  respect  the  book  is  almost  a  marvel.  This  translation  can  no 
more  be  compared  to  the  usual  slapdash  work  glutting  the  market,  made  by  per- 
sons lacking  almost  every  requisite  necessary  for  the  task,  than  Balzac  himself  can 
be  compared  to  the  salacious,  hollow-brained  scamps  who  in  English  minds  figure 
exclusively  as  French  novelists.  The  translation  is,  in  fact,  exquisite.  .  .  . 
The  person  who  did  the  translation  combines  these  two  rare  qualifications,  —  a 
thorough  knowledge  of  French  and  a  perfect  mastery  over  English."  —  New  York 
Graphic. 

"  The  many-sidedness  of  Balzac's  genius  is  strikingly  exhibited  in  '  Le  Medicin 
de  Campagne.'  It  demonstrates  also  the  injustice  of  much  of  the  criticism  di- 
rected against  this  great  writer  by  Sainte-Beuve  and  others  who  have  followed 
his  lines  of  interpretation.  It  is  significant  that  this  book  was  one  of  Balzac's 
favorites.  It  is  significant  because  the  work  is  characterized  by  none  of  the 
qualities  which  it  has  been  customary  to  attribute  to  his  fiction,  and  which  do,  iu 
fact,  appear  in  much  of  it.  The  '  Country  Doctor  '  is  not  a  novel  in  the  ordinary 
sense  of  the  term.  It  is  rather  a  prose  poem,  and  one  of  the  most  beautiful,  capti- 
vating, and  ennobling  in  any  literature.  Balzac  himself  said  ot  it  that  it  was  a  pic- 
ture of  '  the  Gospel  in  action,'  and  the  definition  is  keen  and  succinct.  It  is  indeed 
a  story  of  the  noblest  and  most  practical  philanthropy,  so  enriched  by  philosophy,  so 
broadened  by  profound  economic  analysis,  so  full  of  deep  suggestion  and  piercing 
criticism  of  social  problems  that  it  might  constitute  a  statesman's  text-book,  and 
convey  useful  ideas  to  the  most  experienced  administrators.  .  .  .  The  devotion  of 
the  country  doctor  to  the  community  whose  interests  he  had  taken  in  charge  is  in- 
deed touching  and  beautiful,  but  such  instances  are  not  wholly  unfamiliar.  What 
gives  this  story  its  charm  and  distinction  is  the  art  of  the  writer  in  developing 
before  us,  by  the  simplest  and  least  obtrusive  means,  one  of  those  really  majestic 
characters  whose  lives  men  follow  with  never-failing  interest,  and  whose  biogra- 
phies constitute  the  most  fascinating  literature,  since  they  illustrate  and  stimulate 
the  higher  potentialities  late»t  in  every  human  breast.  ...  It  only  remains  to  be 
said  that  Miss  Wormeley  has  translated  the  book  excellently,  and  has  preserved 
as  nearly  as  possible  every  shade  of  the  author's  meaning.  The  enterprise  of  the 
publishers  in  undertaking  to  English  Balzac  is  certainly  commendable,  but  it 
could  not  have  succeeded  as  it  has  but  for  the  good  fortune  which  sent  them  so 
capable  and  sympathetic  a  translator."  — New  York  Tribune. 


One  handsome  i2mo  volume,  uniform  with  "  Fere  Goriot" 
" Duchesse  de  Langeais"  "  Cisar  Birotteau"  " Eugfnie  Grandet" 
and  "  Cousin  Pons."  Bound  in  half  morocco,  French  style. 
Frice,  $1.50. 

ROBERTS    BROTHERS,  Publishers,  Boston. 


BALZAC    IN    ENGLISH. 


THE  TWO  BROTHERS. 


"  It  is  quite  possible  that  many  French  students  may  be  somewhat  puzzled  to 
encounter  that  story  of  Balzac's  which  they  have  always  known  under  the  title  of 
'  Un  Menage  de  Gar?on,'  in  the  strange  and  unfamiliar  appellation  'The  Two 
Brothers.'  The  explanation  is  simple  enough,  and  it  is  interesting  as  illustrating 
one  of  Balzac's  peculiarities.  A  number  orhis  books  underwent  many  changes 
beforethey  crystallized  permanently  in  the  edition  definitive.  Some  of  them  were 
begun  in  a  newspaper  or  review,  carried  along  some  distance  in  that  way,  then 
dropped,  to  appear  presently  enlarged,  altered,  'grown,'  as  is  said  of  children, 
'  out  of  knowledge.'  The  '  History  of  Balzac's  Works,'  by  Charles  de  Lovenjoul, 
gives  all  the  details  of  these  bewildering  metamorphoses.  The  first  title  of  the 
present  story  was  that  which  the  American  translator  has  selected,  namely,  '  Les 
deux  Frferes.'  The  first  part  of  it  appeared  in  La  Presse  in  1841  with  this  desig- 
nation, and  in  1843  ''  was  published  in  two  volumes  without  change  of  title.  The 
second  part  (now  incorporated  with  the  first)  appeared  in  La  Presse  m  1842,  under 
the  title  '  Un  Menage  de  Gar^on  en  Province,'  and  figured  as  the  continuation  of 
'  The  Two  Brothers  '  In  1843  the  two  parts  were  brought  together,  and  the 
whole  published  as  '  Un  Menage  de  Gar^on  en  Province.'  Balzac,  however,  was 
not  yet  satisfied.  Having  announced  yet  another  title,  namely,  '  Le  Bonhomme 
Kouget,'  he  abandoned  that,  cancelled  both  the  former  ones,  and  called  the  tale, 
in  the  definitive  edition  of  his  works,  '  La  Rabouilleuse.'  after  Flore  Brazier,  one 
of  the  characters  in  it.  There  can  be  no  doubt  that  Miss  Wormeley  has  chosen 
the  most  apposite  of  all  these  titles.  The  real  subject  is  the  career  of  the  two 
brothers,  Philippe  and  Joseph  Bridau." — New  York  Tributte. 

"  Messrs.  Roberts  Brothers,  of  Boston  have  added  to  the  excellent  translations 
they  have  already  published  of  several  of  Balzac's  most  famous  novels  a  translation 
of  'The  Two  Brothers,'  which  forms  a  sequence  in  'Scenes  from  Provincial  Life.' 
As  with  the  other  novels  that  have  preceded  it,  nothing  but  the  highest  praise  can 
be  awarded  the  work  of  the  translator.  It  gives  to  the  reader  of  English  a  remark- 
able rendering  of  Balzac's  nervous,  idiomatic  French  ;  and  it  presents  the  novel- 
reader  a  novel  that  must  challenge  his  comparisons  with  the  popular  novels  of  the 
times.  One  cannot  read  far  in  Balzac's  pages  without  feeling  refreshed  by  contact 
with  a  vigorous  intellect.  In  this  story  he  attempted  to  display  two  opposite  types 
of  character  in  brothers,  which  had  been  inherited  by  them  from  different  ances- 
tors. In  order  to  do  this  effectively  he  introduces  in  a  few  opening  pages  these 
ancestors,  before  coming  to  the  real  action  of  the  story.  .  .  .  There  is  no  plot,  no 
intrigue,  no  aim  whatever  except  to  depict  the  characters  of  Joseph,  Philippe,  the 
mother,  and  the  immediate  friends  about  them.  All  this  is  done,  however,  with 
such  vivid  reality  that  it  fascinates  the  attention.  It  is  like  watching  an  artist  de- 
velop with  telling  colors  a  great  breathing,  living  picture.  It  is,  in  its  way,  a  study 
of  evolution.  '  Perhaps  I  have  never  drawn  a  picture,'  said  Balzac,  in  reference 
to  the  book,  '  that  shows  more  plainly  how  essential  to  European  society  is  the 
indissoluble  marriage  bond,  how  fatal  the  results  of  feminine  weakness,  how  great 
the  dangers  arising  from  selfish  interests  when  indulged  without  restraint.'  There 
are  many  Philippes  in  the  world  outside  of  France ;  the  shrewd,  selfish,  swagger- 
ing Philippes  who  march  through  life  rough-shod,  regardless  of  kindred,  friends, 
or  foes.  Here  is  the  man  painted  to  the  life  for  all  time,  and  any  country.  Here 
also  is  the  woman,  with  all  her  simplicity  and  weakness,  who  always  and  ever  fails 
to  gauge  rightly  this  sort  of  man  ;  who  is  doomed  to  be  his  slave  and  victim. 
Balzac  met  them  in  his  Parisian  world  forty  years  ago,  and  here  they  take  their 
places  in  his  comedy  of  human  life.  While  there  are  such  strong  portraitures  in 
literature  as  these  novels,  it  is  not  easy  to  understand  how  so  many  weak,  flimsy, 
pretentious  ones  find  any  readers  at  all.  Let  us  have  Balzac  in  excellent  transla- 
tion by  all  means,  —  all  that  remarkable  series  that  are  still  quite  as  good  as  new 
to  the  great  majority  of  the  English-speaking  people.''  —  Brooklyn  Citizen. 


One  handsome  \2.mo  volume,  uniform  with  "  Pire  Goriot,^'  "  The 
Duchesse  de Langeais"  ^^Cesar  Birotteau,^'  "Eugenie  Grandei"  "Cousin 
Pens,"  and  "  The  Country  Doctor.''''  Half  inorocco.  French  style. 
Price,  ^1.50. 

ROBERTS  BROTHERS,  Publishers,  Boston 


BALZAC    IN     BNOLISH. 


EUGENIE    GRANDET. 

A  GREAT    NOVEL. 

"  Honor^  de  Balzac  wrote  many  books  to  each  of  which  this  title  may  justly 
be  applied.  We  apply  it  in  the  present  instance  to  '  Eugenie  Grandet,'  one  of 
his  very  greatest  works,  —  one  which,  in  the  opinion  of  a  large  number  of  persons, 
divides  with  '  Le  P^re  Goriot '  the  honor  of  being  his  masterpiece.  Englishmen 
are  prone  to  hold  that  in  English  fiction  there  is  no  such  beautiful  and  complete 
embodiment  of  a  good  woman  as  Fielding's  Amelia ;  Frenchmen,  we  should  fancy, 
must  ascribe  a  similar  position  to  Eugenie  Grandet.  The  book  of  which  she  is  the 
central  figure,  the  Rembrandt-contrast  to  the  ignoble  spirits  by  whom  she  is  sur- 
rounded, has  been  beyond  a  doubt  one  of  the  most  widely  read  of  French  novels ; 
and  now  that  it  has  been  rendered  into  excellent  &]glish,  and  presented  in  a 
highly  attractive  form,  it  will  undoubtedly  pass  into  the  mental  experience  of  a 
multitude  who  would  otherwise  have  lacked  more  than  a  hearsay  knowledge  of 
its  beauty.  The  translation  of  the  novels  so  far  published  by  the  Messrs.  Roberts 
Brothers  deserves  more  than  the  mere  word  that  can  be  given  to  it  here.  Although 
French  is  a  language  much  easier  to  read  than  German,  it  is  a  far  more  difficult 
task  to  turn  French  prose  into  idiomatic  English  prose  than  to  do  the  same  by 
German,  and  we  do  not  remember  ever  to  have  seen  any  translation  of  French 
into  English  which  is  so  near  being  uniformly  idiomatic  as  these  versions  of 
Balzac  now  un<fcr  consideration."  —  Boston  Post. 

"  Not  to  know  Balzac,  Mr.  Robert  Louis  Stevenson  has  declared  to  be  an 
ignorance  '  that  will  soon  be  excuseless,  and  we  hope  rare.'  Not  to  know  Balzac 
is  certainly  to  lose  one  of  the  highest  intellectual  pleasures  and  to  shut  out  one  of 
the  profoundest  educational  forces  of  literature  in  this  century.  Balzac's  work  is 
throughout  full  of  power." — Brooklyn   Times. 

"  This  volume  comes  to  us  as  the  fourth  in  the  series  of  translations  of  Balzac's 
novels,  published  by  this  well-known  Boston  house.  His  sketches  of  character 
are  nowhere  more  strong  and  masterly  than  in  this  book,  where  he  depicts  the 
miser,  Grandet,  in  all  the  repulsiveness  which  belongs  to  a  narrow,  grasping,  and 
unscrupulous  nature,  in  contrast  with  his  patient,  long-suffering,  repressed,  but 
faithful  and  tender  wife.  Their  only  child,  Eugenie,  is  the  heroine  of  the  story; 
and  her  strong,  simple,  and  loving  nature,  which  leads  her  to  sacrifice  her  future 
for  a  brilliant  but  unworthy  cousin,  who  wins  her  heart,  and  then  forgets  her  in 
his  search  for  a  more  ambitious  alliance,  furnishes  a  theme  where  Balzac's  literary 
skill  and  keen  analysis  of  motives  are  seen  at  their  best.  We  regret  that  the 
name  of  the  translator  has  not  been  made  public,  for  his  work  is  well  done,  and 
deserves  special  commendation  in  these  days,  when  so  many  poor  translations  of 
foreign  works  are  offered  to  the  public."  —  Portland  Press. 

The  London  Athenteum  says  of  the  translation  of  Balzac  which  Roberts 
Brothers  are  publishing,  that  it  is  "  very  much  above  the  average  of  English 
translation  of  French."  

One  handsome  iimo  volume,  uniform  with  "  Pire  Goriot,"  "  Duchesse  dt 
Langeais,"  and  "  Cisar  Birotteau."  Bound  in  half  morocco,  French  style. 
Price,  $1.  so. 

ROBERTS    BROTHERS,  Publishers, 

Boston. 


BALZAC. 

Extracts  from  some  Critical  Notices* 


George  Frederic  Parsons  in  the  Atlantic  Monthly ^  ytme,  1886. 

"  The  creative  imagination  has  never  been  stronger  than  in  Balzac.  Explana- 
tion of  this  gift,  in  the  present  backward  state  of  psychology,  is  almost  hopeless. 
All  his  biographers  and  critics  have  attempted  it,  and  all  have  failed.  Chasles 
and  Gautier  come  nearest  to  the  truth  in  saying  that  he  was  a  seer.  He  himself 
could  not  define  his  power,  but  several  times  he  has  essayed  fragmentary  outlines 
of  it.  Thus  in  '  Fadno  Cane  '  he  says, '  Observation  had  already  become  intuitive 
with  me,  or,  rather,  it  seized  external  details  so  thoroughly  that  it  proceeded 
beyond  them  instantly;  it  gave  me  the  faculty  of  living  the  life  of  the  individual 
upon  whom  it  was  exercised,  by  putting  myself  in  his  place.'  All  masters  of 
fiction  have  this  creative  and  substitutive  power  more  or  less.  It  was  strong  in 
Dickens  and  in  Thackeray.  But  it  has  never  been  manifested  at  the  same  height 
as  in  Balzac.  The  tremendous  energy  which  informs  all  his  work,  and  which 
lends  such  significance  to  his  speculations  on  the  will,  given  in  '  Louis  Lambert,'  — 
that  essence,  as  he  puts  it,  which  is  subtler  and  more  powerful  than  electricity, 
—  endowed  the  creatures  of  his  imagination  with  a  vitality  not  less  real  and  vivid 
than  that  which  animates  material  beings.  It  did  more  than  this.  The  fiery 
heat  at  which  his  brain  worked  not  only  impressed  upon  his  characters  a  bodily 
distinctness  and  individuahty,  but  it  forced  to  the  front  and  kept  in  evidence 
everything  which  belonged  to  that  individuality.  Balzac's  men  and  women 
appear  so  real  because  we  are  made  to  enter  into  the  most  intimate  relations  with 
them.  It  is  not  merely  their  physical  portraits  that  are  drawn  for  us  with  a 
master's  touch ;  it  is  their  mental  habits  and  characteristics,  their  foibles,  their 
virtues,  their  thousand-and-one  petty  ways,  and  their  habitations,  from  garret  to 
cellar.  .  .  .  He  has  portrayed  many  noble  women.  He  has  lavished  an  unequal'ed 
analytic  and  descriptive  power  upon  them.  He  has  delighted  to  show  them  in 
the  family  relation,  unselfish,  patient,  tolerant,  confiding,  always  ttady  to  sacrifice 
themselves  —  nay,  to  crucify  themselves  —  for  those  they  love.  He  has  shown 
them  loyal,  affectionate,  prudent,  wise,  far-seeing,  pure,  innocent.  His  women 
are  not,  indeed, 

'too  good 
For  human  nature's  daily  food.' 
They  are  natural,  with  the  defects  of  their  characters  as  well  as  with  the  virtues. 
But  they  are  thoroughly  real.  We  all  know  many  like  them.  It  is  human  nature 
that  Balzac  lays  before  us,  and  with  a  fulness  and  completeness  no  other  writer 
has  approached,  if  we  except  Shakespeare,  ...  It  was  his  business  to  set  down 
what  he  saw,  not  what  he  would  have  liked  to  see.  Had  he  pur^ued  any  other 
course  than  that  which  he  followed  so  persistently  and  to  such  astonishing  lengths, 
it  would  not  have  been  possible  for  Taine  to  say,  as  he  did,  that  Balzac,  with 
Shakespeare  and  Saint  Simon,  is  the  greatest  magazine  of  documents  on  human 
nature  the  world  possesses.  He  is  much  more  than  that.  He  is  far  too  great  a 
writer  to  be  summed  up  in  an  epigram,  however  smart,  or  labelled  with  a  defini- 
tion, however  neat.  As  the  historiographer  of  stciety,his  importance  and  interest 
are  certainly  great  ;  but  what  reinforces  and  gives  solidity  and  permanence  to  his 
work  IS  the  penetration  —  the  saturation,  rather  —  of  all  his  writings  with  that 
genuine  human  feeling,  human  passion,  and  sense  of  human  weakness  which  lend 
to  his  creations  a  reality  and  a  life  such  as  will  be  sought  in  vain,  outside  of  his 
pages,  in  the  literature  of  fiction." 

George  Parsons  Lathrop  in  the  New  York  Star. 

"  As  for  French  fiction,  here  is  Balzac's  '  Eugenie  Grandet,' translated  with 
great  faithfulness  and  beauty.  There  never  was  a  story  of  love  and  disappoint- 
ment more  exquisitely  pure,  more  innocuous,  or  truer  to  life.  .  .  .  '  Eugenie 
Grandet,'  as  many  readers  know,  tells  the  story  of  a  perfectly  innocent  girl,  the 
daughter  of  a  frightful  miser,  who  falls  in  love  with  her  cousin  Charles.  Charles's 
father  was  rich,  but  becoming  bankrupt,  blows  his  brains  out.  Eugenie  is  full  of 
sympathy  for  the  young  man.  .  .  .  Her  love  for  him  is  absolutely  innocent. 
Their  relation  is  as  devoted  and  stainless  as  that  of  brother  and  sister  ;  yet  they 
love  and  promise  to  marry  each  other.  For  the  benefit  of  those  who  have  not 
read  this  masterpiece  I  withhold  the  cruel  denouement.  It  is  enough  to  say  that, 
from  beginning  to  end,  there  is  not  a  sentence  which  can  distress  any  sane  person. 


Yet  Balzac  conceals  nothing.  He  tells  us  all,  even  to  Charles's  having  gone 
through  the  frightful  education  of  social  life  in  Paris,  — '  that  world  where  in  one 
evening  more  crnnes  are  cunimitted  in  thought  and  speech  than  jublice  ever 
punishes  at  the  assizes;  where  jests  and  clever  sayings  assassinate  the  noblest 
ideas ;  where  no  one  is  counted  strong  unless  his  mind  sees  clear ;  and  to  see 
clear  in  that  world  is  to  believe  in  nothing.'  But  Balzac,  being  healthy,  keeps 
always  in  sight  the  lovelier  phase  of  things,  and  in  speaking  ot  the  poor,  old, 
starved  serving- woman,  Grande  Nanon,  he  says  :  '  God  will  recognize  his  angels 
by  the  inflections  of  their  voices  and  by  their  secret  sighs.'  Messrs.  Koberts 
Brothers  deserve  the  thanks  of  ail  sincere  people  and  of  all  good  artists  for 
undertaking  to  issue  a  complete  translation  of  Balzac,  because  the  influence  of 
this  great  novelist's  works  must  tend  toward  making  American  fiction  and  fiction 
readers  purer,  more  genuinely  human,  and  truer." 

Julian   Hawthorne  in  the  New  York  World. 

"Balzac's  Theory  of  Fiction.  It  is  late  in  the  day  to  indite  brilliant  gener- 
alities about  Balzac,  which  shall  be  not  only  brilliant  but  true,  and  still  more, 
new.  But  the  preface  to  the  collected  edition  of  his  works,  which  he  wrote  about 
1843,  a  translation  of  which  is  prefixed  to  Roberts  Bros.'  American  issue  ('Pfere 
Ooriot')  is  too  suggestive  to  pass  without  mention.  It  is  a  solid  and  sincere  piece 
of  writing,  remarkable  for  its  lucidity,  its  logical  cogency,  its  heroic  ambition,  and 
its  not  less  heroic  modesiy.  One  cannot  read  it  without  finding  his  intellectual 
admiration  of  this  great  writer  mellowed  by  a  feeling  of  personal  affection.  .  .  . 
Balzac's  life  was  too  much  crowded  with  actual  labor  to  afford  time  for  frequent 
comment  or  mediiation  upon  it ;  nevertheless,  when  the  time  came  for  such  a 
word,  he  gathered  himself  together,  once  for  all,  and  uttered  it,  and  a  very 
characteristic  word  it  is,  not  unworthy  of  the  author  of  'Comedie  Humaine.' 
It  is  less  a  comment  or  a  criticism  than  a  statement  and  an  explanation ;  it  is 
electrified  with  the  same  gigantic  and  unfailing  purpose  that  mastered  and 
directed  him  from  the  outset  to  the  end  of  his  career.  His  tone  is  not  playful, 
but  rich,  full,  and  earnest;  and  if  ever  man  was  in  earnest,  it  was  he.  For  twenty 
years  he  held  himself  to  his  task  without  once  flinching  or  slackening  ;  his  head 
and  his  hand  were  busy  up  to  the  very  gates  of  death.  He  never  despaired,  or 
even  doubted.  Nothing  that  he  encountered  in  his  vast  and  penetrating  survey 
ot  mankind  gave  him  cause  to  modify  the  lines  of  the  theory  upon  which  he 
started.  ...  It  was  in  the  writings  of  Walter  Scott  that  Balzac  found  fiction 
raised  to  the  philosophical  value  of  history  ;  in  them  were  brought  together 
drama,  dialogue,  portraiture,  description,  scenery,  the  natural  and  the  super- 
natural ;  and  though  Scott  had  not  hit  upon  Balzac's  system,  whereby  each  sepa- 
rate romance  should  be  but  as  a  chapter  in  a  comprehensive  whole,  yet  the 
unconscious  logic  of  his  inspiration  bestowed  upon  his  various  writings  a  sort  of 
unity.  ...  So  much  for  what  Balzac  premises  concerning  himself;  we  have  now 
to  examine  the  results  of  his  premises  in  the  fifty  or  more  novels  that  he  has 
written.  This,  however,  I  need  scarcely  remark,  is  not  a  subject  to  be  disposed 
of  in  a  single  essay,  or,  indeed,  in  any  number  of  essays.  The  child  is  not  yet 
bom  who  will  see  the  end  of  Balzac's  influence  and  suggestiveness.  He  will  be 
reviewed  and  reviewed  again  as  long  as  novels  and  novelists  exist.  He  is  0"e  of 
the  few  men  who  is  too  large  to  be  imitated ;  his  method  may  be  adopted ;  but 
his  style,  his  mint-mark,  can  never  be  reproduced.  ... 

"  I  shall  discuss  these  books  one  by  one,  as  occasion  may  offer,  and  as  a  rehet 
when  other  things  become  too  stale,  flat,  and  unprofitable.  When  'current 
literature'  leads  us  too  far  astray,  a  touch  of  Balzac  will  make  us  kin  once  more 
with  what  is  best  in  literary  art  and  purpose.  Meanwhile  I  congratulate  Messrs. 
Roberts  Bros,  on  having  undertaken  the  issue  of  this  translation  in  so  handsome 
a  form,  and  the  translator  upon  the  exceptional  merit  of  her  workmanship.  She 
is  occasionally  a  little  too  free  with  the  French,  and  sometimes  not  giiite  exact 
enough  with  the  English  ;  nevertheless  she  is  producing  the  best  English  render- 
ing of  the  author  who  presents  to  a  translator  difficulties  greater  than  does  any 
other  French  writer." 

—A 

Balzac's  novels  are  published  in  handsome  \2mo  volumes,  neatly  bound 
in  half  morocco,  French  style.    Price,  i?i.5o  each. 

ROBERTS  BROTHERS,   Publishers, 

3  Somerset  Street,  Boston. 


From  The  Art  Interchange,  a  Household  Jour- 
nal,  of  February  13,   1886. 

THE  DUCHESSE  DE  LANGEAIS. 

WITH 

An  Episode  under  the  Terror,  The  Illustrious 
Gaudissart,  a  Passion  in  the  Desert,  and 
A  Hidden  Masterpiece. 

By  HONORE    DE    BALZAC. 

Since  the  days  when  Thackeray  and  Dickens  were  issuing  in  numbers 
those  novels  which  have  delighted  so  many  readers,  or  George  Eliot's  pub- 
lishers were  able  to  announce  a  new  novel  from  her  pen,  there  has  been  no 
series  of  novels  given  to  the  public  so  notable  and  so  well  worthy  of  wide 
attention  on  the  part  of  adult  readers  as  this  translation  of  Balzac  from  the 
press  of  Roberts  Brothers.  If  it  be  objected,  as  it  perhaps  will  be,  that  there 
is  a  flavor  of  immorality  in  Balzac,  and  that  his  works  are  not  well  adapted 
to  general  reading,  it  can  be  shown,  we  think,  at  least  so  far  as  the  charge 
of  immorality  is  concerned,  that  the  objection  is  a  superficial  one ;  and  that 
while  there  is  much  in  the  times  and  society  which  form  the  ground-work 
of  Balzac's  marvellous  stories  that  is  improper  and  fortunately  counter  to 
our  civilization,  still,  Balzac's  tone  concerning  these  very  things  is  a  healthy 
one,  and  his  belief  in  purity  and  goodness,  his  faith  in  the  possibilities  of 
humanity,  is  too  clear  to  admit  of  a  question.  He  gives  us  wonderful  pic- 
tures of  the  world  he  lived  in.  It  was  not  altogether  a  good  world.  As  It 
was  he  portrays  it.  Its  virtues  he  praises  and  its  vices  he  condenms,  not 
by  a  page  of  mere  moralizing,  but  by  events  and  action,  which,  swajing  the 
ethics  of  society  with  apparent  uncertainty  hither  and  thither,  yet  have  an 
upward  tread,  even  as  they  do  in  our  world  of  to-day.  "  The  Duchesse  de 
Langeais  "  is  the  novel  of  this  volume.  It  is  from  the  Scenes  de  la  Vie 
Farisienne  of  the  Comddie  Humaine.  The  temptation  and  struggle  of  the 
Duchess  is  one  which  could  hardly,  in  our  day,  present  itself  to  a  pure- 
minded  woman.  In  that  day  and  time  it  could,  and  did;  in  spite  of  hw 
wild  abandonment  to  the  lover  who  spumed  her,  the  reader  feels  that 
Madame  de  Langeais  was  a  nobl&bearted  woman,  purer  than  those  who 


counselled  her  a  concealed  enjoyment  of  her  passion,  nobler  and  better  than 
the  society  which  made  her  what  she  was.  With  great  power  and  pathos  is 
her  story  told.  It  is  a  very  powerful  scene  when  her  lover  meets  her  in  the 
convent,  and  very  dramatic  is  her  tortured  cry  to  the  Mother  Superior: 
"  This  man  is  my  lover !  "  How  strong  and  pitiful  the  end,  and  the  sad 
commitment  to  the  waves  of  what  was  a  woman  and  now  is  nothing  !  The 
volume  also  contains  four  short  stories.  "  An  Episode  under  the  Terror," 
from  Scenes  de  la  Vie  Politique,  is  a  story  already  familiar  from  previous 
translation,  and  which  has  drifted  around  in  English  as  much  perhaps  as 
any  of  Balzac's  shorter  stories.  "  The  Illustrious  Gaudissart "  is  from 
Scfenes  de  la  Vie  de  Province,  an  admirable  example  of  Balzac's  humor. 
Gaudissart  is  a  commercial  traveller,  —  a  drummer,  in  familiar  parlance.  He 
might  be  a  drummer  of  to-day.  If  he  were,  he  could  easily  find  employ- 
ment with  a  high-class  house.  The  shrewdness  and  impudence  of  the  class 
has  not  varied  much  since  Balzac's  time.  Gaudissart  adds  to  his  line  a 
children's  magazine  and  the  agency  of  a  Life  Insurance  Company.  He  is 
advised  by  the  humorist  of  a  provincial  town  to  try  his  powers  of  persua- 
sion on  a  man  who  turns  out  to  be  a  harmless,  but  decided  lunatic.  The 
scene  between  the  two  is  humorous  in  the  extreme.  When  Gaudissart  calls 
the  insuring  one's  life  for  a  large  sum  "  the  discounting  of  future  genius," 
he  adds  a  persuasive  phrase  to  the  r6pertoire  of  the  life-insurance  agent. 
"A  Passion  in  the  Desert"  is  from  Scenes  de  la  Vie  Militaire,  and  is  as 
singular  a  tale  as  might  be  imagined  from  the  affection  of  a  man  and  a 
tiger.  The  last  of  the  four  is  "  The  Hidden  Masterpiece,"  from  Etudes 
Philosophiques.  Here,  to  the  readers  of  this  edition,  Balzac  is  seen  in  a 
new  vein.  Here  is  something  of  the  strange,  weird  touch  of  Hawthorne, 
something  of  unreality,  and  the  lingering  vision  of  a  possible  moral.  The 
translation  could  hardly  be  in  better  hands.  The  English  is  delightfully 
clear  and  nervous.  Whoever  reads  these  books  will  know  Balzac  very  well, 
and  it  is  safe  to  assume  that  they  wrill  like  him  very  much. 


One  handsome  \2mo  volume,  uniform  with  ^^Ptre  Goriot^ 
and  "  Cisar  Btrotteau."  Bound  in  half  morocco,  French 
style.    Price  $1.50. 

ROBERTS   BROTHERS,  Publishers, 

Boston. 


GEORGE   SAND'S   NOVELS, 


The  excellence  of  George  Sand,  as  we  understand  it,  lies  in  her  compre- 
hension of  the  primitive  elements  of  mankind.  She  has  conquered  her 
way  into  the  human  heart ;  and  whether  it  is  at  peace  or  at  war  is  the  same 
to  her,  for  she  is  mistress  of  all  its  moods.  No  woman  before  ever  painted 
the  passions  and  the  emotions  with  such  force  and  fidelity,  and  with  such 
consummate  art.  Whatever  else  she  may  be,  she  is  always  an  artist.  — 
PutnanCs  Magazine. 

Roberts  Brothers  propose  to  publish  a  series  of  translations  of  George 
Sand's  better  novels.  We  can  hardly  say  that  all  are  worth  appearing  in 
English  ;  but  it  is  certain  that  the  "  better  "  list  will  comprise  a  good  many 
which  are  worth  translating,  and  among  these  is  "  Mauprat,''  —  though  by 
no  means  the  best  of  them.  Written  to  show  the  possibility  of  constancy 
in  man,  a  love  inspired  before  and  continuing  through  marriage,  it  is  itself 
a  contradiction  to  a  good  many  of  the  popular  notions  respecting  the 
author,  —  who  is  generally  supposed  to  be  as  indifferent  to  the  sanctities 
of  the  marriage  relation  as  was  her  celebrated  ancestor,  Augustus  of 
Saxony.  .  .  .  The  translation  is  admirable.  It  is  seldom  that  one  reads 
such  good  English  in  a  work  translated  from  any  language.  —  Old  and. 
New, 

M.A.UPRAT. 

ANTONIA. 

MONSIEUR    SYLYESTRE. 

THE    SNOW    MAN. 

THE   MILLER   OF   ANGIBAXJLT. 

5  volumes,  i2mo.  Half  Russia.  Uniform  in  size  and  style 
with  "  Balzac's  Works." 

Price,  81-50  per  Volume. 


Sold  everywhere.    Mailed,  postpaid,  on  receipt  of  the  advertised  pricBf 
by  the  Publishers, 

ROBERTS    BROTHERS,   Boston. 


UNIVERSITY  OF  CALIFORNIA 

Santa  Barbara  College  Library 
Santa  Barbara,  California       « 

Return  to  desk  from  which  borrowed. 
This  book  is  DUE  on  the  last  date  stamped  below. 


QEC6   196 


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(BlHl84)476 


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